Eoin Macken's 2021 drama Here Are The Young Men is experiencing a resurgence on Amazon Prime despite a difficult critical debut. The Dublin-set film, which features an early role for Anya Taylor-Joy, follows three graduates whose summer of excess turns tragic.
A 38 percent Rotten Tomatoes score that failed to stop the streaming surge
Upon its initial release, Eoin Macken's film faced a rather humble reception. According to the report, the movie earned a low 38 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.6 out of 10 on IMDb. While these scores suggest a critical failure, the film is currently finding a new audience through its availability on Amazon Prime.
Despite the "smattering of boos" at its debut, the performances from the novice cast have helped the film maintain its relevance. The film's ability to find a second life suggests that initial critical dismissal does not always dictate a project's long-term viability in the digital age .
Anya Taylor-Joy and the Dublin graduates' fatal summer
Set in Dublin, the story tracks three recent graduates—Matthew (played by Dean-Charles Chapman), Kearney (Finn Cole), and Rez (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo)—as they navigate a summer of debauchery. The characters are driven by different, often misguided, impulses: Kearney believes moving to America will facilitate his transition into manhood, while Rez finds solace in pills. The narrative takes a dark turn following a fatal accident that forces the group to confront their own morality.
The source highlights that Anya Taylor-Joy plays Jen, an ambitious character who provides a sharp contrrast to the aimless, "droog-like" trio. As the characters attempt to navigate adult situations, their sense of invincibility begins to crumble, leaving them shaken and broken in unique and individual ways.
The 'Euphoria' effect: Why Sam Levinson's style echoes in Dublin
The film's emphasis on visual beauty over narrative depth places it within a specific genre trend. The report compares the movie's atmosphere to Sam Levinson's Euphoria, noting a tendency in teen dramas to prioritize aesthetics. Much like the early 2010s series Skins or the film A Clockwork Orange, Here Are The Young Men attempts to capture the whirlwind of teenage freedom through a stylized lens.
It possesses what the source describes as a "floaty, ethereal yet disturbing essence," similar to the film Thirteen. this trend often sees filmmakers using artful cinematography to mask a lack of substantive writing, a point of contention for many early reviewers who felt the plot was bloated.
Will the 'muddled script' be forgiven by Amazon Prime viewers?
While the film is finding a second life, several questions remain regarding its lasting impact. The report notes that some critics found the script both derivative and muddled, yet it is unclear why this specific audience is now embracing the work. We are left to wonder if the renewed interest is a result of the cast's rising stardom—particularly following Anya Taylor-Joy's success in The Queen's Gambit—or a genuine appreciation for the film's melanchoic charm.
Additionally, the source does not address whether the "artful cinematography" will eventually lose its appeal to new viewers as it did for earlier critics, or if the film's status as a "curious artifact of streaming-era rehabilitation" will persist as more viewers discover it on Amazon Prime.
Comments 0