Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)After becoming an awards season darling with Boyhood back in 2014, Richard Linklater’s follow-up film was Everybody Wants Some!! Loosely based on Linklater’s own experience as a baseball player in his youth, the film follows freshman pitcher Jake Bradford as he navigates the first weekend of his college experience among a boisterous baseball team.
Described as a spiritual sequel to his 1970s-set cult classic Dazed and Confused (1993), it uses much of the same recipe. Spearheaded by great performances from the likes of Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell, it brings together a group of actors, some well known and some first timers, meshing them together to create an unforgettable cohort of characters.
It’s a wonderful film about friendship that makes me long for and reminisce about summer days mooching around with friends. Although recent works of his haven’t quite matched the impact of Boyhood (still no UK release date for Where’d You Go, Bernadette), there’s joy to be found in repeat watches as you become more familiar with the lovable rogues on screen. It hits all the landmarks of what you might find endearing in previous films of his, with laid back philosophical discussion aplenty, a killer soundtrack and a sincere beating heart underneath it all.
Sean Atkinson
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@Iamnotinkansas