Big Time Adolescence: Comfortable Coming of Age

Big Time Adolescence is a lowkey coming of age comedy that tells the story of Mo (Griffin Gluck), a 16-year old whose only friend is his older sister's ex Zeke ( Pete Davidson) who has an inability to grow up. Mo begins to connect with people his own age and gains a realization on his relationship with Zeke. The film tells the story of stunted growth and what happens after high school. Mo and Zeke tend to gravitate toward one another and have both an unhealthy and unhealthy relationship. Mo looks up to Zeke as an older brother figure but because Zeke hasn't moved past his high school days it never allows their relationship to grow or progress past that.


The film succeeds it its ability to provide an in-depth character study of its few main characters and their relationships. It starts off with a solid friendship that begins to crumble when outside influences are exposed to it. Davidson plays a slightly exaggerated version of himself which adds to the cool, grounded tone of the film. The film is a perfect vehicle for him to practice his acting outside of sketch comedy and prove his ability to carry out scenes and be interesting. Gluck is skilled at playing the high school boy that wants to fit in with his peers and in the process loses a sense of self and the relationships with those around him. He is trying to figure out whom he wants to be and along the way, he realizes that its the opposite of who Zeke is.


The film is entertaining and amusing and is better than many of the teen genre films that have come out in recent years. It is grounded and believable. The director Jason Orley does a great job at remembering that these are actual humans and he doesn't need to resort to any absurd situations to move along the plot. The film has the trope of the older bad influence character on the impressionable youth but never plays into any cliches or even redeems Davidson's Zeke. It plays out like real life.