What It Is: It’s 1989 and the Berlin Wall is falling down, signifying the defeat of communism in Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War. In a high school in Canada it’s just another day. This day though is one that features one last field party for the school year. One last party for the decade of decadence. As the seniors and teachers get prepped for this, the reality of it all hits all of them differently.

What We Think: The structure of the film is probably the easiest thing to like about this. Even if contextually I was very much not a fan of how the film was put together, I can attest that some of the characters both fit into their perceived archetype and slightly subverted it. There are some subplots in here that I really did not like the direction of. The ending is somehow kind of empty in spite of it having several interesting revelations. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel earned. These moments just pop up as a little bow and the teachers’ final scene is quite ambiguous.

Our Grade: C, I thought this film was going to be something completely different. What this ended up being surprised me, but not in a way I found either good or bad. It just…exists. Matthew Lupis is doing some cool things as a director here and that’s to be spoken about as a huge positive. I also got a great sense of time and place. It felt like the late ’80s. It felt like a high school. If I hadn’t known the film was Canadian though, you’d never really be able to tell. Outside of a couple of actors’ accents playing right through the scene. Don’t get it twisted, this is a good film, it just isn’t a great one.