Less Than Zero (1987)

Directed by

Marek Kanievska

Genre

drama film, romance film, crime film, LGBTQ-related film, coming-of-age film, Christmas film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 38m

Rated

R

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 306 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A college freshman returns home for Christmas and finds his ex-girlfriend and best friend trapped in drug addiction. He tries to help them escape their destructive lifestyles in wealthy Los Angeles.

melancholictensebleakclaustrophobicunsettlingglossyslow-burnemotionally draining

What happens

Less than Zero is a 1987 American drama film directed by Marek Kanievska, loosely based on the 1985 novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair (Jami Gertz) and his friend Julian (Robert Downey Jr.), both of whom have become drug addicts. The film explores the culture of wealthy, decadent youth in Los Angeles. Less than Zero received mixed reviews among critics. Ellis hated the film initially, but his view of it later softened. He insists that the film bears no resemblance to his novel and feels that it was miscast apart from Downey and James Spader. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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