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Over the Edge

Play trailer Poster for Over the Edge PG 1979 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
With only a recreation center to distract them, most of the teenagers in the drab planned community of New Granada have turned to drugs and delinquency. Carl (Michael Kramer), the son of a town councilman, is an exception, but he can't seem to help falling in with a charismatic and troubled classmate, Richie (Matt Dillon). Soon after, a trigger-happy sheriff (Harry Northrup) shoots Richie, and sole witness Carl has to go on the run, eventually inciting a dramatic teenage riot.
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Over the Edge

Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies This allegory of an America ever under construction examines, in a nuanced, even-handed manner, the money-obsessed mindset of adults, parents and entrenched authorities no less than the hostile recalcitrance of errant youth on their road to nowhere. Jun 1, 2021 Full Review Bruce McCabe Boston Globe Jonathan Kaplan's Over the Edge is a sensitive and deceptively shocking portrait of middle-class decadence and alienation set against an impersonal, dehumanized, futuristic Sunbelt society. Apr 28, 2018 Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Script, photography and performances (including Dillon before he decided to become a teenage Stallone) are all top notch, while Kaplan directs with pace, imagination, and a fine ear for dialogue and music. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Despite the sympathetic slant toward the kids, this isn’t a simplistic “us vs. them” screed. Rated: 3/4 Mar 24, 2024 Full Review Larry Vitacco Philadelphia Gay News This genre has spawned more unmemorable films than quality ones; sadly, Over the Edge falls into the former category. Rated: 1/4 May 27, 2020 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Planned suburbia, teenage wasteland Sep 25, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cindy L I actually saw this for the first time when I was 14 or 15 a few years after it came out, I thought it was the coolest movie with the best sound track. So I was pretty much the target audience the film was made for, and I couldnt watch it enough! Mommy's alright..Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird..... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/24 Full Review Kevin L Pretty bad. Like an overly melodramatic afterschool special with a ridiculous ending; esp. all the cars exploding. Poor acting, sophomoric writing, and I just didn't buy much of any of it. Who are all these loser deliquent kids? I went to several schools and was around a number of HS-aged hangers during college, but rarely saw anything this destructive regularly. Mostly just drinking, getting stoned, skipping school, and some shoplifting. Thanks for giving Matt Dillon an early break in a movie, but that's the only plus I can see that came from this being made. 2 stars Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/29/24 Full Review Jonathan C I don't know how the script fares, it started out ok. The music is very corny mid/late 70s type stuff, all kinds of cues to indicate that you're supposed to be empathetic like "aawwwe, those poor teenagers are just so misunderstood". It does not hold up against the passage of time like true cinematic giants of the same timeframe. Even CARRIE (1976) utilized the same music style with more tastefulness, so unless you're unwilling or unable to grasp a world without cell phones or internet, it's a lot easier to digest. Of course, CARRIE centers around an actual victim whereas this movie is about kids who shoot BBguns at moving vehicles and expect to get away with it, which may have impacted my appreciation of the film. I understand boredom can result in some ugly things, but I would have preferred to see everything unfold naturally and not be shepherded into feeling a specific way about it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/24 Full Review Richard V Was like a trip back to my youth. Accurately captures the music, attitudes, dress, of the year in which it was filmed (and the late 70s in general). In that sense it is more authentic than DAZED AND CONFUSED (which I also love and which is VERY authentic in its own way). Highly recommend this film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/23 Full Review Audience Member An excellent coming of age picture, disguised as an exploitation flick. It's ripe with symbolism of American suburbs being under constant construction and the rebellion of disenchanted youth. The performances are raw and have an authenticity that's not often seen. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/16/22 Full Review Audience Member It's important that we remember that kids have limited attention spans, or at least they used to. Unless it's something they really love, you're not going to have an audience for long. "Over the Edge" expands on this notion into deep, dark territory. We're faced with two sides of our nation's youth: the innocence and the fury. Kaplan did a terrific job of blending the two. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Over the Edge

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Movie Info

Synopsis With only a recreation center to distract them, most of the teenagers in the drab planned community of New Granada have turned to drugs and delinquency. Carl (Michael Kramer), the son of a town councilman, is an exception, but he can't seem to help falling in with a charismatic and troubled classmate, Richie (Matt Dillon). Soon after, a trigger-happy sheriff (Harry Northrup) shoots Richie, and sole witness Carl has to go on the run, eventually inciting a dramatic teenage riot.
Director
Jonathan Kaplan
Producer
George Litto
Screenwriter
Charles S. Haas, Tim Hunter
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 11, 2015
Runtime
1h 35m
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