No Alternative | Movie Review

No Alternative Movie Review

Michaela Cavazos and Conor Proft in No Alternative. | Image: Gravitas Ventures

No Alternative is a coming of age film directed and written by William Dickerson and is based on the novel of the same name that he also wrote. We are introduced to the characters of Thomas (Conor Proft) and his younger sister Bridget (Michaela Cavazos), two high-school-aged who are growing up in the suburbs and belong to an upper class family. Thomas badly wants to succeed as a musician, playing in a grunge band, while also feeling the pressure of his parents to take the traditional college route. Bridget, the younger of the two, is the outsider of the family and has been on antidepressants since the age of eight. We know this because their dad (Harry Hamlin), a judge dealing with a work related scandal, tells Thomas after another one of Bridget's breakdowns. 

It would be hard to pick a main character in this movie, both Thomas and Bridget each have their own issues but to me it is Bridget's issues that shadow over most of the movie. As I said she is an outcast, and not only in her family but it seems to be that in her own age group as well. It is important to note that this film takes place in the 90's, particularly after the death of Kurt Cobain. Grunge rock bands are all the rage, but oddly enough, Bridget just wants to be a gangster rapper. She even goes as far as to perform her own original raps at a coffee shop under her rap name "Bri Da B", much to the dismay of almost all of its customers. Bridget is not only dealing with her mental illness but also with that teenage angst that comes with growing up. She came off to me as unpredictable which made for some tense viewing throughout.

Michaela Cavazos in No Alternative. | Image: Gravitas Ventures

Thomas surprisingly has a friendly relationship with his sister and as the movie progresses you come to find that they might not be so different. As much as Bridget deals with her own issues, Thomas is trying to deal with his. He is feeling the pressure from his parents to attend a top college instead of following his musical dream. Like any other teenager, he doesn't listen and gets a few of his friends together to form a band. They of course want to be the next "Nirvana", but run into some drama of their own when they disagree in the direction of the band. Ultimately I wanted more from Thomas as a character but I have a feeling that it was a creative decision to not have him be so in your face when compared to his sister.

Kathryn Erbe, Conor Proft, and Harry Hamlin in No Alternative. | Image: Gravitas Ventures

The cinematography feels really tight and intimate and for that reason you feel just as down as the characters in the movie. There is just this underlying uneasiness throughout its entirety that I couldn't shake. I did appreciate how it did genuinely feel like the 90's, and there were a lot of little details that made it feel that way. Now in modern times parents might ask their kids to send them a picture to prove where they are, in the 90's you made sure to get a ticket stub to show as proof even if you really didn't go to the movies.

If you're looking for a story with a lot to chew on, No Alternative might not be for you. This is a view into people's lives and what they have to deal with on a day to day basis. There are some pretty strong scenes but nothing that a normal family wouldn't have to deal with under similar circumstances. 

Director William Dickerson has said that this film is deeply personal for him and it was a homage to his sister who dealt with mental illness and was on antidepressants from a young age. At times it feels like maybe we shouldn't be watching what is going on on screen. For many of us it might bring back some memories of growing up and all the stuff we had to deal with, and for that reason No Alternative is definitely worth a watch.

No Alternative will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on April 2nd, 2019.

Directed by William Dickerson

Written by William Dickerson & Dwight Moody

Starring: Michaela Cavazos, Conor Proft, Chloe Levine, with Kathryn Erbe and Harry Hamlin.