It all starts with eye contact from across a room. You find yourself pulled in and, next thing you know, you’re making small talk to learn a little more as they find themselves in your hands. Feeling mutual energy, the two of you go back to your place and, before you know it, you’re pounding them into your VCR to find out whether the summary on the back of the slipcover and answers from the movie rental spot manager catfished you. There’s no pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite feeling better than making a connection with a film you’ve never seen as you go on an adventure into the imagination of a filmmaker. In those moments, the world makes a strange sense as someone born even a hundred years ago can make you feel seen and understood. Perhaps that’s why so many future filmmakers and cinephiles try to go on dates to the movies, so that they can share something of themselves with another as a means of growing closer. This is the cornerstone of the latest project from filmmaker Kevin Smith (View Askewniverse films beginning with Clerks (1994)), rom-com The 4:30 Movie, a “one crazy day” tale funneling the vibes of 1980s YA adventures through Smith’s specific meta lens.
Siena Agudong as Melody Barnegat in the Romantic Comedy, THE 4:30 MOVIE, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Ever since last summer, Brian David’s (Austin Zajur) had one thing on his mind: Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong). Lacking confidence before, he missed his shot with the girl of his dreams, but, today — today is different — and he asks her out to the movies. Surprisingly, she accepts, and Brian sets out to make the planned day at the movies with buddies Belly (Reed Northrup) and Burny (Nicholas Cirillo) as great as possible, even if it means moving the plans around so that Melody can join them for a 4:30 screening. But between high expectations for the date and frustrations from the boys about making adjustments, things aren’t going smoothly, and they’re made worse by the persistent threat of Atlantic Cinemas manager Mike (Ken Jeong) who’s looking for any excuse to ban theatergoers for life.
Austin Zajur as Brian David in the Romantic Comedy, THE 4:30 MOVIE, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Shot at Smith’s own SModcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, The 4:30 Movie is a teenage rom-com in the vein of Zapped (1982) without the superpowers or One Crazy Summer (1986) without the boat race: colorful characters, tested friendship, hijinks of the colorful variety, and, of course, love. Much like the film references that naturally flow from Brian’s mouth, there’s a casualness to the entire affair, the low stakes feeling incredibly high as they often do with young love. Some of this comes from Yaron Levy’s (Jay and Silent Bob Reboot; Sick) cinematography which added filters to give the entire project that famous 1980s soft lighting, thereby helping to ground the visual language of the film in the era. Some of this is instilled by the songs of the period and smart costuming, enabling audiences to truly believe that they’ve stepped into the past as we join Brian in his quest for love. But it’s really the performances from Zajur, Cirillo, Northrup, and Agudong that inspire one to stay locked in as they infuse 4:30 with a specific wholesomeness that’s specific to ‘80s raunchy comedies which would later inspire films such as American Pie (1999).
L-R: Reed Northrup as Belly, Nicholas Cirillo as Burny, and Austin Zajur as Brian David in the Romantic Comedy, THE 4:30 MOVIE, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Zajur, last seen in 2023’s Fool’s Paradise, previously worked with Smith in Clerks III (2022) as Blockchain Coltrane and shifts from a new-gen Silent Bob to lead role, bringing with him a charm that immediately grabs you. There’s something so earnest and vulnerable about Zajur’s presentation of Brian that one is able to look past adolescent foibles to see the person underneath. With all the film quotes he spews, it would be easy to view him as a young version of Randall (Jeff Anderson), but it’s the opening scene of the film in which the inciting incident occurs where not only do we see who Brian is, but we find ourselves equally charmed by Zajur at the same time. Cirillo as Burny enables audiences to discover just how versatile the actor is. Recently playing a supporting role in Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills (2024) as a dramatic and ethically-struggling Allie, here, Cirillo leans into physical comedy, playing a horndog and heavy, providing the double-edged sword of loyalty and hypocrisy that inspires much of the interpersonal tension of the story for the central trio. Cirillo makes us believe in Burny’s nearly-toxic masculinity and uses a particular gift for physical delivery to make awkward character beats hilarious. Northup makes up the last of the central three and this appears to be his first feature. Northup’s Belly has the unfortunate role as comic relief via social embarrassment, yet Northup maintains a likeability and durability so whether Belly’s done something unseemly (though appropriate for the cinematic era in which 4:30 is set) or lamenting his mother’s movie bacon, the audience never abandons the character. Impressively, the one who makes the strongest impression is Agudong (Let Us In; F9) and we see her the least as the exalted Melody Barnegat (always said as both names in classic YA ‘80s teen comedy style). She’s the first actor we see, and the screen lights up with her in-frame, though that may be a by-product of Zajur’s Brian who similarly glows when the two characters engage each other. Rather than being the typical love interest who is solely framed through the lens of the pursuer, Agudong gives Melody dimension and agency. Credit to Smith for including a moment (albeit rushed) where Melody challenges Brian, a necessary thing to answer a persistent question that the film nearly wants you to forget with all the hijinks between start and finish. But whether going with the flow of Brian’s film quotes or encouraging him, Agudong maintains a sense of character identity that enables the audience to see the character as more than an ideal.
L-R: Reed Northrup as Belly, Austin Zajur as Brian David, and Nicholas Cirillo as Burny in the Romantic Comedy, THE 4:30 MOVIE, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro
Where the film falters, if you will, is when it slides into the trademark Smith-isms that have become second nature to his projects. One should be so lucky as to work with your friends, to get to play and imagine and create in a growing circle of playmates. The trick is that, especially since Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019), many of the cameos detract from the energy of narrative. It’s not that Rachel Dratch (Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse; Plan B) or Jason Lee (Mallrats; Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) don’t bring something to the table in the moment, their performances beautifully playing into the discomfort a certain type of parent can bring to their child, but, irrespective of their presence, the appearance of a familiar face often comes off as the joke itself and not in support of the narrative. When they do line up, though, such as the inclusion of Justin Long’s (Zack and Miri Make a Porno; Tusk) Stank or Adam Pally’s (The Mandalorian) Emo Usher, it does feel like a certain kind of magic. Luckily, the majority of the cameos are loaded into the faux-trailers that lead up to the first film Brian and his friends watch, a series of grindhouse-esque tales that have real-world equivalents (all the fake films in 4:30 are referencing real films. How many can you ID?) and would likely make for an amusing new set of films from Smith within his horror catalogue. The inclusion of the trailers offers an excuse for cameos that may feel more forced in the narrative proper, but the number of them and the style of them do reduce the general flow, even if it makes sense to hold space for what these three, specifically Brian, think about the potential new features. If nothing else, it allows a moment in which Brian and Burny can argue how one can know whether a film is good or not based on a trailer, an aspect that far too many audiences (including critics) cling too much to and would do well to release.
L-R: Ken Jeong as Manager Mike and Reed Northrup as Belly in the Romantic Comedy, THE 4:30 MOVIE, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Fans of Smith’s work understand that there’s typically a mix of the sweet with the raunchy, but often there’s a pearl of wisdom. Within The 4:30 Movie, it’s the notion that we go to the movies in order to make sense of the world, to find ideas that speak to us, whether it’s by being challenged or soothed. With his latest film, for all it seeks to do, it reminds us that movies are a special thing that connects individuals across generations, that the reason we go to the movies with friends or on dates is so that we might share something of ourselves with others in a way in which we cannot do on our own. That’s the magic of movies. So, while 4:30 treads familiar ground both in genre and narrative voice, it’s still a great time for those newly exploring their romantic era or for those feeling nostalgic.
In select theaters September 13th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Saban Films The 4:30 Movie webpage.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Share this:
Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
Leave a Reply