Over the Edge

Trapped in a dull planned community, misunderstood youth seek refuge in audacity. Their drug-dealing and petty crime goes unnoticed at first, but increasing tension with local police eventually leads to tragedy and violent reprisals.


Released in 1979, it’s hard to tell if Jonathan Kaplan’s film was intended as edgy social criticism or as a B-grade message movie. It’s dated, to say the least – teenagers engaging in debauchery is hardly shocking these days – but there’s still an unsettling core here. The idea that teenagers should be regarded as people with legitimate issues and concerns and not as a municipal image problem is a lesson the largely clueless adults learn all too late.


Unfortunately, the film’s thematic promise is nearly betrayed by acting that is mediocre at best. Matt Dillon makes his debut as a gun-toting delinquent, but no one will confuse him for James Dean. The chief protagonist, Carl (Michael Eric Kramer), is supposed to be torn between his parents and his friends, but the conflict is heavily skewed to favor the latter. Starpower may be overrated, but Over the Edge could have used some stronger acting, even if only in a glorified cameo.


On the flip side, the movie does boast a quality soundtrack (Van Halen, The Ramones, and Cheap Trick, among other bands) and the cinematography effectively captures the suffocating yuppie boredom of New Granada.


The best reasons for watching this movie, however, come from real life. It was inspired by a San Francisco article about a youth crime spree and it went on to have a profound effect on one viewer, Kurt Cobain. Watch the video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and bask in the similarities.


7.25/10