This movie had so much potential, but the screenwriter did a rushed and awful job. So many side stories on the movie could have been expanded in order to make it rich for our thirsty eyes. The end was so abrupt that made me think that they finished it in a hurry because they were running out of budget. I recommend seeing it but without high expectations, or else you will be disappointed.
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PanosKou3 May 2019
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dazjohnson30 May 2020I'm writing this to say why all the hate for this film? If you saw the trailer you knew exactly what you were going to get!! A young Polish girl dreams of becoming a pop star and so she enters a X factor type singing contest in the UK called Teen spirit. She befriends an old opera singer at a club she was singing at one night,he offers to become her manager he sees the potential talent she has, and after meeting with her mother and warned off about any shady business obviously worried about how old he is !! They begin their journey together. She tries out for her dream. It's not going to win any Oscars but it basically does what the package said delivers a good soundtrack, and Elle Fanning surprises me with her singing voice it showcases her rather good voice she has. You know where it's going but the film kept me entertained for duration of the film. So just watch it and make your own mind up.
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INTXb22 June 2020Not a bad movie... somewhere between 6-7/10. Plot is pretty straight forward. Elle Fanning gives it a boost with her aura (she kind of radiates). To be honest it might not be a good movie without her. At the same time her performances are kind of humdrum, even in the end she seems amateurish. Also it never really explains why her personality is so dreary all the time, but I think this is mostly just Elle's acting (appealing in a way because it sets her apart from other actors). Zlatko gives the best performance though in a supporting role. Worth a watch if you're a fan of Elle or just a fan of offbeat movies.
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Azanspy28 July 2019Teen Spirit is that movie which showcases how talented the lead actor is. Elle Fanning was simply brilliant in this movie and there's no doubt that she will be a future star. But the movie is almost it. Just Elle Fanning and a very good soundtracks. The movie is cliche and there's nothing new to it than some good visuals. The characters didn't have any depth apart from Fanning's Violet. Overall, Teen Spirit is watchable for Elle Fanning and the songs.
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FrenchEddieFelson2 July 2019In this copacetic teen movie, the duo Elle Fanning + Zlatko Buric is certainly unexpected but vigorously endearing. Vlad is going to play the role of a substitute father and a manager for Violet, an uptight teenager who will try to take part in the Teen Spirit singing contest. This will prove to be for herself an unexpected opportunity to leave her small country town polluted by contemptuous rednecks, to become emancipated and eventually to join a completely different world forever, as in a fairy tale.
In addition to the two main actors Elle Fanning and Zlatko Buric, Agnieszka Grochowska and Rebecca Hall are excellent supporting roles. And Teen Spirit (2018) is the very first movie directed by Max Minghella. Therefore, a minimum of indulgence is imperative.
As a synthesis, the actors, the atmosphere, the photography, the soundtrack, ... yes! -
Teen Spirit is a very well made musical drama. Elle Fanning delivers an excellent lead performance. She shines throughout this film. The supporting cast also does a good job in this film. The film is very well directed by first timer Max Minghella. The film is very stylish, and makes good use of its pop soundtrack. You are never bored during its runtime, even when you know where this film is going. Easily the film's main weaknesses is its storyline. You know where the film is going right from the start. But it's so well done that you can forgive it. Overall, this isn't anything really new, but it's well made enough to keep you entertained.
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indira_stitch21 November 2019I think this movie had so much potential, the cinematography is beautiful, and the camara work has potential, it makes me excited for this filmmaker even though, the screenplay did not have any power tone, is a generic and unmoving story. But honestly it does have powerful performances and beautiful shots.
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rivertam2615 February 2020Elle Fanning shines in this familiar tale about a poor young woman who dreams of being a singer and joins in on a big time competition. The movie is pretty by the numbers and it can feel a bit hollow at times. What helps is the stylish execution with a unique artistic eye from its director as well as solid performances all around. I do wish there was a bit more substance but what stands is still an entertaining example of the formula and why its explored so much.
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skye-richards3 July 2019I am glad that Elle Fanning got to showcase her genuine vocal talent in this movie through the character Violet which is rare for most actors in singing roles.
What ruined this movie though was the screen play which was deathly boring and mediocre. I am not the biggest fan of Elle Fanning, but she can do much better than this, had it not been for her this would have been a complete waste. -
calicut1105 October 2019I was impressed they took a format that's been done a million times before and made it new, unique and special. Elle Fanning proved she's the real deal and I hope to see her in even bigger and better roles. Great work!
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Turfseer1 July 2019Teen Spirit is British actor turned first time screenwriter Max Minghella's directorial debut. It's a drama about an American Idol-like contest in the UK. Minghella's protagonist is Violet Valenski (Elle Fanning), a teenager of Polish origin who resides on the Isle of Wight (where Minghella himself hails from).
The plot is rather simple: Violet is taken under the wing of one Vlad played by the Croatian actor, Zlatko Buric. He plays a washed up opera singer who offers to be her manager. Buric is supposed to play a character who's endearing but physically he's unpleasant to look at (not only disheveled but overweight to boot). I'm not sure why we're supposed to root for Vlad, especially after he offers to represent Violet for 50% of the winnings. Only after Violet's ballsy mother sets him straight about his remuneration as manager, is Violet permitted to try out for the contest.
There's very little else to say about Teen Spirit. I suppose if Vlad had a little bit more of a backstory, things could have been a bit more interesting. But he doesn't and has little to do in his interactions with Violet (there's a brief scene where he gives her some perfunctory breathing exercises). There's also a rather predictable twist when Violet fails to get selected for the show but later is accepted when the girl to whom she initially lost is disqualified.
A subplot involving an aggressive record club exec trying to sign Violet to an exploitative record contract results in one of the few moments of tension-this leads to a brief falling out between Vlad and Violet but things of course are made whole in the end.
As for the Teen Spirit contest itself, we find out virtually nothing about Violet's rivals. What's more Fanning proves to have a decent enough voice but we wonder why she ends up winning the contest. In other words, her Violet character is thoroughly average. A few of the covers she sings are decent enough (Elle Goulding's "Lights" stands out) but most of the songs (and dancing) are simply not memorable.
Teen Spirit is also one of the new films that is technically below average. Just about the entire film is darkly lit and one occasionally misses the action because of the poor cinematography.
If you like American Idol or the X-Factor you might want to see this, but the bottom line is that novice writer Minghella has a ways to go before he comes up with something significantly compelling and original! -
westsideschl3 August 2019Prior to watching I was leaning toward one star based on the cheap cover, moronic title, and a theme done many times before, i.e. young singer with big dreams comes out of nowhere w/some obstacles along the way of course. What turned me into a strong supporter? Great acting by Elle, Agnieszka (played the tough mom to humorous perfection), and Zlatko. Great blending of music w/changing scenes. Great camera work & editing. Good choice of songs, many by well known artists. Finally, and no way the least, Elle did the singing. I first thought it was professional voice dubbing based on range, emotive presence, pitch quality, but nope just her. Bonus: Elle watches "The Voice".
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God knows how much I appreciate actress Elle Fanning. I'm glad that in this film, she was allowed to prove herself as a singer. Mission accomplished. But here ends the positive part about the movie. Is it a bad movie? No, you can watch it. Is it a good movie? No, because when you leave the theatre you have a sense of dissatisfaction. There are many problems, among all a plot that opens many narrative cues, eventually left unexplored. The story is about a girl (Violet) who lives with her mother in a big house on the Isle of Wight, too big to be sustainable with their job as a waitress (part-time in the case of Violet, since she still goes to school) and a day-to-day caring of their greenhouse, fields and animals. Elle's dream is to sing but her mother (we discover she is Polish), a sort of "Born Again Christian" (but we are in the UK and not in the USA !!!), abandoned by her husband, does not want her daughter to waste time behind unrealizable dreams. The opportunity to fullfill her dreams came when the island host the selection camp to participate in programs such as The Voice (or X-Factor or ...). Violet secretly enlist herself to the trial using as a fake tutor Vlad, a former famous Yugoslavian opera singer now an alcoholist living in a van, who (we discover) would like to see his daughter, now living in Paris. For the rest, the plot follows the traditional canons. Beyond the plot with so many unaswerend questions, there is something strange about the casting. This is English movie, set on an English island with supposedly english people. Then why on Earth did they decide to cast Elle (an all-American girl from Georgia) to play the role of the English daughter of a Polish woman instead of (just as an example because she is not of the right age) Mia Wasikowska? Her accent sound too strange to be an Island resident. The movie is a sort of Cinderella story coming from the English working class (not so different from the story of Flashdance)? What is the added value of using a Polish mother, Vlad, and the support band, whose selection is clearly driven from their non-english ethnicity? Another problem in the representation of the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight. Violet's classmates (and young people in general) are 90% of non-British origin, while practically all adults are of English origin. Then we have a problem: either kids don't have parents or Wight residents don't have kids. It seemed to me the classic trick to insert the "gray factor" to reach the goal of politically correctness (all race even when this don't make sense), something not strange in British movies in the last 5 years. That's to bad because the movie had a lot of potential, but either film-script or the director (or both) failed in the task
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pekotski29 July 2019Two minutes don't go by without cliche. I don't know how I managed to survive till the end. Wasted time.
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lt_texan18 October 2019Too short, I wanted more character development and fleshing out of the events. Good acting all around. Of course it was a bit cliche (movie about a talent contest and expected outcome- duh!) And was Ms Fanning acting or performing the musical parts? Very impressive. I really enjoyed the music.
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Gordon-111 March 2020The songs are good, and the film has a good story. I'm glad she has the opera singer to help her with the contest. It's an enjoyable film.
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"Teen Spirit" (2018 release from the UK; 92 min.) brings the story of violet. As the movie opens, we are told it is "The Isle of Wright, UK". Violet is singing in a pub on open mic night. Exactly one person pays attention, Vlad, who we later learned once was a note at opera singer in Croatia. Violets close knit family (originally from Poland) Wants her to focus on her church choir singing. But when the TV singing talent show Teen Spirit UK comes to town for open auditions, violet grabs her chance. With the help and mentoring from the flat, Violet enters the talent show. At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you will just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this film is the writing and directing debut of Max Minghella, best known for his acting roles. Here he brings an all too familiar story, the likes of which we have seen many times before. In essence this is "A Star Is Born", UK teen version. With such utter predictability, you had better have a strong lead performance and enjoyable music. Thankfully the movie deliverance both: veteran actress Ellen Fanning, still on 21, frankly surprises with her confident singing. Anything short of that would have sunk the movie. The music is equally up to the task. Among the highlights are Fanning's performances of "I Was a Fool" (Tegan & Sara), Ellie Goulding's "Lights", Annie Lenox's "Little Bird" and, to top things of, a brand new song written by Carly Rae Jesper, "Wildflowers", playing at the grand finale of the Teen Sprit competition. Also keep your eyes open for Rebecca Hall's small and campy (but delicious) role as Jules, the "brains" behind the singing competition.
"Teen Spirit" premiered at last year's Toronto international film Festival, and it finally received a limited US theatrical release recently. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at turned out to be a private screening, as in: I literally was the only person in the theater. A darn shame. If you are in the mood for an entertaining and slick movie about a singing competition that features a strong lead performance from Elle Fanning, I would readily recommend you check this out, be at in the theater (doubtful at this point), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. -
timothyhilditch17 November 2021A Polish teenager living day to day on the Isle of Wight, enters a singing contest. Takes most of the plot from the Heroes journey. Shows what modern Britain actually looks like. Don't expect anything too complex, it's all about whether she sticks to path or not. Great combination between the music and the action. Great soundtrack full of electronic artists.
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jaredd19 July 2019The first two thirds of the film put me on life support. There was a glimmer of hope near the end, but then the film was over and I realized we never got anywhere. Not satisfying at all and really a waste of time unless you're just a massive Elle Fanning fan.
What makes a good film can be subjective, but a critical concept is that you need proper pacing and contrast between different types of scenes. Nobody wants 60 minutes of the camera pointed at a tree... They tried to put a couple things in, like the scene involving a horse and then some drinking later on, but it was seriously still a bore.
I got a few "Smash" (TV series from 2012) flashbacks while watching this but that was probably just my brain trying to stay awake... -
rockman18212 April 2019I could go on for days and days and days about how much I love the Fanning sisters. Especially Elle. The Neon Demon may very well be my favorite movie of all time, either that or Mulholland Drive. Neon lights, popular music, and Elle singing is all I needed to convince myself to see this opening night. Max Minghella excels in capturing the performance and musical aspects of the film although the story has been seen and done many times. Still, I found it an enjoyable watch mostly through another typically great leading performance from the lovely Elle.
The film is about a Polish teen from around The Isle of Wight, who has aspirations to be a singer. A singing contest named Teen Spirit comes near her vicinity and she enters with the help of a former opera singer named Vlad. After trials, she finally makes it to the later rounds of the TV show and attains fame. However, she runs the risk of letting the fame get to her head and forgetting where she came from and who helped her to get there. Max Minghella of The Handmaid's Tale fame directs and writes his first film, which was quite interesting to me.
The pop songs and covers are quite good and catchy. Elle is a powerhouse when she performs. This girl never ceases to amaze me and the fact that she is able to have stage performance here goes to show the talent she possesses. A lot of the film succeeds because of her performance. The musical performances and cinematography surrounding it is alluring as well. The story is the typical rags to riches, teen living the big dream story.
While it is an unoriginal and very simple story to tell, the film has enough going for it to keep you interested. I also very much enjoyed seeing Zlatko Buric in this film. Thought he was great in the Pusher series, particularly Pusher III. Teen Spirit won't be a mindblowing experience or the indy darling you are looking for but it is a solid effort and impressive debut from the unlikely Minghella. I'm there when there is anything Elle. Now to check out the film's soundtrack.
7.5/10 -
larrys321 July 2019Another mesmerizing performance by Elle Fanning, as she portrays 17-year-old Violet Valenski, an aspiring singer living with her mother on a farm on the Isle of Wight, UK. Fine performances by Zlatko Butic and Agnieska Grochhowska add much to the film as well.
I see many reviewers disliked the movie, but I found it to be a good combination of strong acting, dramatic tension, music, and even some well placed humor. Yes, the film can be formulaic, at times, but overall I thought it was well worth the watch.
The most solid actor Max Minghella makes his feature film directorial debut here as well as adding his second screenplay, after the powerful "The 9th Life of Louis Drax". -
jhunte21 April 2019Max Minghella's directorial debut shows great promise for his future as a director. However his future as a screenwriter not so much. The script is mediocre and predictable with stock characters, though it is still enjoyable and funny at moments. What saves this movies is Minghella's ability in the director's chair. This movie is shot beautifully and edited very well. The visuals are bright and stunning and the montage style editing works great for the movie. Elle Fanning's singing is also another plus for this movie giving an energetic and stellar performance for the final number in the movie.
It's an ok movie with a good performance by the lead, but it's Minghella's directing that stands out above all else. -
transcendingemma-123421 August 2019I love Elle Fanning, but this was bad. The writing was boring and it's impossible to get attached to any character. There were multiple sub plots that started, but they never led anywhere. Honestly, it's not even worth the time watching this. Just watch the "Lights" cover scene and you'll be good.
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NephilimShoto28 October 2020Teen Spirit doesn't try to be something it's not. It provides face-value entertainment for 90 minutes. It's definitely worth watching for Elle Fanning's performance alone.
Acting: 8/10. Fanning is superb (acting, singing and dancing); supporting cast is convincing enough. Plot: 7/10. Good pacing; visual storytelling is favoured over dialogue; average character development; one or two unexpected twists; decent conclusion. Production: 8.5/10. Believable locations, sets, costumes, etc. Soundtrack: 6/10. Notably predictable songs throughout. (Perhaps that was intentional; this is a movie about a pop music contest, after all.)
Overall recommendation: Watch it (once is enough).