Jon, a first-time filmmaker, finds himself in Lansing, Michigan to present his film at a local film festival. Vince, his high school friend who is now a volunteer fireman and small-time drug dealer, also visits the town to support Jon on his big day, or so it seems. After a raucous hello and much backslapping, it appears that there is an undercurrent of tension in the air.
Richard Linklater's 2001 drama unfolds almost entirely in a single motel room, where two old high-school friends reunite during a film festival and resurrect a long-buried, painful piece of their shared past. Built on charged, escalating conversation, it functions as a tense chamber piece about memory, accountability, and conflicting versions of the truth. The mood is intimate and confrontational, with tension simmering beneath the reminiscing. Holding a MagicMovieScore of 6.9, it appeals to viewers who favor talk-driven, character-focused drama, minimalist staging, and morally probing stories where the real action lies in what people are willing to admit.
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Ethan Hawke
Vin

Robert Sean Leonard
Jon

Uma Thurman
Amy
239 ratings. The score is reasonably stable but could shift up to 0.13 as more ratings come in.
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Release Date
November 2, 2001
Runtime
1h 27m
Genres
Drama
Director