High school senior Brett Blackmore (Eli Brown) has done everything he’s been told for the past 18 years. He has put his studies first and his social life second, helping to ensure his future. However, after the senior prank goes terribly wrong, Brett’s life is left in shambles, forcing him to act in ways like never before. With his life flipped completely upside down, Brett decides to post The Fuck-It List on social media for his friends to see. He finally expresses all the things that he wishes he had done throughout the past eighteen years, and some of the things that he still has a chance to rectify within his life. This list, as it becomes more and more popular to the outside world, propels Brett forward, changing him forever. Maybe him throwing caution to the wind is the best thing for him, and the people in his life.
The Fuck It-List is a coming-of-age story that leaves others in its dust. Most films that follow the bildungsroman narrative, as beautiful, important and passion driven as they are, can be predictable. They each follow a similar path, and that path has found immense success (and I am truly a fan of the way that these films are able to present information to their audiences). The Fuck-It List distorts what audiences have come to expect from films of this nature. The story is more modern and more approachable by younger audiences than some other films. Writer-director Michael Duggan and co-writer Dan McDermott find a way to deliver a new wave of success from the perspective of someone who has already found success, but is less than relieved with the way it has played out. The film focuses heavily on creating your own success and paving your own path. The way in which Duggan and McDermott present their story to the world allows each viewer to create their own understanding of what success looks like and how to commandeer it. This approach is liberating. Allowing audiences to understand that who they are, what they believe and their expectations for the world and themselves are all acceptable and achievable, even if that means breaking the rules from time to time.
The coming-of-age story obviously has to deal with the protagonist overcoming an obstacle of sorts, but The Fuck-It List takes things a step further. With a group of close friends surrounding Brett, the film takes a look into each of their stories as well. With themes such as sexuality, fraud and sexual abuse, The Fuck-It List makes sure to engulf audiences in a world of discomfort and realization that keeps them on their toes and allows them to see the silver lining in even the most unappealing situations.
Duggan and McDermott make sure to encourage audiences, while forcing them to reevaluate their pasts and optimistically contemplate their futures. The Fuck-It List, while a teenage drama/love story on the surface, presents audiences with some truly useful insights into the real world and the plethora of paths that are available to those willing to look. The Fuck-It List makes audiences emotional in the best of ways, provides insightful information and keeps audiences guessing. With adequate acting and funny-enough humor, The Fuck-It List is able to hold its own in the world of teenage drama, coming-of-age stories and deserves recognition for its vigor and brilliance.
Directed by Michael Duggan. Writer by Michael Duggan & Dan McDermott. Starring Eli Brown, Madison Iseman, Marcus Scribner, Karan Brar, Tristan Lake Leabu, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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