Bellflower (2011)

Movie quotes:
"Dude, it’s like a James Bond car for drunks!"
- Milly

At a glance:
Writer/director/star Evan Glodell crafts a real-feel story of two slackers whose Mad Max fantasies drive their world into violence

Our review (with spoilers):
Bellflower appears to be a character study about two slackers who have a dream to create the ultimate Mad Max world around them. It seems innocent, even when they successfully build their own flamethrower. They are heavy drinkers but generally jovial, with Aiden (Tyler Dawson) using his charm to entertain the ladies, while Woodrow (Evan Glodell), simpler and seemingly sweet, gets in a pleasant relationship with Milly (Jessie Wiseman). But infidelity and a violent accident start to turn Woodrow into someone very different. Smarter people than me will probably realize earlier that alcohol, depression, and flamethrowers don’t mix, and that this may end badly. The subject matter is confronting and sometimes ugly, but there’s no denying the absolute filmmaking ability of writer/director/star Evan Glodell. How he took this hard to watch material and turned it into a film that is at times poetic and beautiful is in itself a miracle. More please!

Rating: 3 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"A daring feature debut by Evan Glodell, "Bellflower" looks like it was shot with the digital equivalent of a Brownie box camera, and generates an almost palpable aura of anxiety."
- Joe Morgenstern (Wall Street Journal)