A wild teenage party, where everyone is ready to use anything, including alcohol and dirty tricks, to get what they want. Especially if you are the most attractive boy in the school. No one cares about the consequences, about what happens when the party is over. Everything is a power game, even sex. Just like in the world of adults. But when the power shifts from one person to another, the underdog has a chance to come out as the winner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QthJMk7xG4Y
Teenagers are idiots, manipulative and do stupid things. It’s surprising this basic truth isn’t often dealt with well in films. In Downing, isolated gay lad Jason heads to a house party with his friend. At the shindig is Daniel, a popular, incredibly handsome lad Jason seems to both love and loathe, something Daniel seems well are of and likes to play with. However when Daniel makes a move on Jason’s drunken female friend, he sees a way to get revenge and perhaps reveal a few home truths. Downing has a great feel for the mix of arrogance, selfishness, insecurity and sense of infallibility many teenagers have. Nobody comes out of this exactly smelling of roses but it feels true to the teen experience. My only issue is that sometimes it feels a bit too clever for its own good, so that there appears to be a lot more going on than we’re being told. It’s still a very strong and rather sexy end to the disc though.
