DVD Review - Flower

Lionsgate; Rated R; 90 minutes

Why is it I don't watch very many indie films? I don't exactly have an answer to very my own question, except for the little fact that many of the films just don't intrigue me. If a movie catches my attention, then I'll most likely watch it.

The comedy-drama "Flower" was released to DVD yesterday by Lionsgate, which happens to be a low-budget indie film. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017 and received a theatrically release back in March. This type of movie would have easily went under my radar, if it wasn't for me receiving a press release about the DVD.

Co-written and directed by Max Winkler, Flower stars Zoey Deutch (Before I Fall, Why Him?), Kathryn Hahn (TV’s “Transparent,” Bad Moms, TV’s “Parks and Recreation”), Tim Heidecker (TV’s “Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories”), and Adam Scott (Step Brothers, TV’s “Big Little Lies” and “Parks and Recreation”).

The film centers on Erica Vandross, a complicated and bold teenage girl who spends her after-school hours prostituting herself to older men and then she blackmails them with a little help from her two friends, Kala and Claudine (played by Dylan Gelulaz and Maya Eshet). What is she doing with all the cash she's making? Well, she's saving money to help bail her estranged father out of jail.

Erica's life is forever changed when her mother's boyfriend's son, Luke (played by Joey Morgan), is released from rehab. Luke is a depressed teenager who finds solace in food. His father (played by Tim Heidecker) has tried to get him help, but nothing seems to change Luke's depression. Well, that is until Erica works her charm on him. It turns out that Luke was sexually abused by Will (played by Adam Scott), a junior high teacher. Though he did report the abuse to the police, there was not enough evidence to press charges against the teacher.

To help her possible future stepbrother, Erica comes up with an insane idea that will expose Will's dark secret. However, things don't go as planned.

Final Thoughts

My original thought (and reasons for why I wanted to review this flick) was that Flower was a dark-comedy. Unfortunately, the dark theme was the only guess I got right. Yes, the film can still be considered a dark-comedy, but I didn't find any humor in it.

The main character is a teenage girl with an oral fetish, who blackmails older men for money after she gives them oral sex. I found it difficult to relate with this character and many of her actions throughout the film, though Zoey Deutch (actress Lea Thompsons's daughter) does an excellent job playing the troubled teenager. Actually, the entire cast does a wonderful job in their roles, especially Joey Morgan who played Luke.

After viewing the movie, I read a few other reviews who called the film "trashy." I wouldn't necessarily call it trashy, but there were some sleazy scenes in it. I guess you can call this a "coming-or-age" story, if you can get past the dark themes. There is a bit of romance between the two main teenagers towards the end of the film, which is slightly weird considering they're going to be step-siblings.

The picture quality on the DVD is exactly what you would expect. Nothing great and nothing bad. The DVD is lacking much needed extras. The only special feature is a commentary by director Max Winkler (Yep, Fonzie's son!) and actress Zoey Deutch.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Flower. In one way, I was entertained and then in another way I was repulsed. The film isn't for everyone. I would only recommend the film for the Zoey Deutch's and Joey Morgan's performances.

*Note : I received a complimentary copy from Lionsgate Entertainment. All opinions are my own.