Everybody Wants Some!!

You cannot get more 80's than Richard Linklater's latest Everbody Wants Some!! (exclamation marks included as an homage to the titular Van Halen song.) If someone told you going in that this had come from the decade you wouldn't think twice.

Very similar to the Director's earlier Dazed and Confused this focuses on a freshman baseball player arriving at college and spending three days with his new teammates before term begins. The setup is simple but the characters are brilliant.

Linklater is a master at introducing us to characters very quickly and embedding them in our heads at a rapid rate and that's down to unflashy but succinct and impactful writing and great casting choices. We see the action through lead Jake's eyes and get to know these guys as he would; some we focus on more than others, some we only get a fleeting moment with. None of these players remain one-dimensional which is incredibly impressive considering that there's twelve in total.

Expect joviality and banter galore as these college guys go on nights out, laze around hungover and play baseball (not too much plot development here but that's not the point.)

A wonderful character(s) portrait set to an awesome soundtrack and oh-so eighties setting (arcades, discos etc.) Refreshingly anti-rom-com (the romantic story line is just a subtle hint here although the lack of female characters can make this a bit of a boys-own movie), refreshingly anti-Jock-sports movie (just the one training session here) and refreshingly un-slacker (it zips along nicely despite the few stoner scenes) it's a great watch.

By the time the credits roll and your three days with the guys are up you'll be left hankering for more. In fact, Linklater could easily create a TV show or lasting series out of these characters. Old-school but brilliant.

4 stars ****