Entertainment

Instant cult classic Dinner In America delivers darkly hilarious punk rock romcom thrills

Emily Skeggs and Kyle Gallner as Patty and Simon in Dinner In America
Emily Skeggs and Kyle Gallner as Patty and Simon in Dinner In America Emily Skeggs and Kyle Gallner as Patty and Simon in Dinner In America

DINNER IN AMERICA

Starring: Kyle Gallner, Emily Skeggs, Griffin Gluck, Pat Healy, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lea Thompson

Director: Adam Rehmeier

Available on Arrow-player.com and all digital platforms from June 1

Rating: ****

EVER get the feeling you've been cheated? Nihilistic punk Simon (Kyle Gallner) definitely does and he remorselessly takes it out on everyone he encounters with uncomfortably hilarious results in Adam Rehmeier's darkly humorous romcom about a pair of punk rock-crazed misfits taking on the world.

Pitilessly put-upon pet shop worker, pervy poet and passionate punk fan Patty (Emily Skeggs) makes an unlikely foil for the uncompromisingly abrasive Simon, who goes on the lam when his personal war against the societal norms of mid-western America explodes in pyrotechnic style through the living room window of a local suburban family (the matriarch of which is memorably played by Back To The Future's Lea Thompson).

These two outsiders are thrown together via a series of unfortunate events (and uncomfortable family dinners), and although at first it seems that Simon is simply exploiting Patty's naivety for his own needs, the perma-sneering punk gradually finds himself becoming her willing protector/mentor.

Patty's self-confidence grows as she witnesses Simon's brash bulldozing of school bullies, sexual harrassers, amusingly passive aggressive parents/siblings and other everyday obstacles, helping her to realise that it's possible to stand up for yourself (and, indeed, re-invent yourself) while going against the grain.

Eventually, the pair discover that they have much more in common than they first realised – but not in a cheesy, cliched manner: writer/director Rehmeier's movie is much too hip/smart for that – and that Patty holds the key which unlocks the door to an exciting new vein of DIY musical creativity for Simon.

Suburban punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) cuts a nihilistic swathe through Dinner In America
Suburban punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) cuts a nihilistic swathe through Dinner In America Suburban punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) cuts a nihilistic swathe through Dinner In America

The film's first 15 minutes may be a bumpy ride for some audiences as it focuses entirely on Simon and his zero-tolerance attitude to life: definitely an 'acquired taste' in character terms.

However, this less-than-palatable introduction is critical to the film's success – and those who stick with Dinner In America will be rewarded by nuanced pitch-perfect performances from Gallner and Skeggs, whose tangible off-the-wall chemistry make this instant cult classic work.

The film also feels hugely authentic to the DIY punk rock scene it's depicting, right down to the fact that music fans will likely be able to guess which instruments Simon's bandmates play just by their behaviour during a brief 'band meeting' scene – and the original punk rock songs in the film are so good that those who enjoy Dinner In America will be seeking out its soundtrack album as well as a special edition DVD/Blu-ray to slot into their collections alongside spiritual peers like Repo Man, Suburbia and Buffalo 66.