We Are Your Friends is director Max Joseph’s debut film, and stars Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer, Jonny Weston, and Wes Bentley. The cinematography in the film would greatly appeal to the Internet generation. The storytelling style is intriguing and refreshing. This Studiocanal and Warner Bros film’s genre is a mix of drama, music and romance.
Against the backdrop of the Hollywood nightlife, Cole Carter (Zac Efron), an aspiring deejay spends his time trying to earn big bucks with his friends (Alex Shaffer, Shiloh Fernandez, Johnny Weston) and working on the one track that will launch his career. One night, Cole meets an older deejay named James (Wes Bentley), who sees potential in Cole and decides to mentor him. However unbeknownst to James, Cole starts falling for James’s secretary and girlfriend Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski). Tension runs high as Sophie and Cole grow closer, and Cole ditches his friends to meet her. A wild night of partying leads to irreversible consequences which alter Cole’s relationships and greatly affect his music.
We Are Your Friends will probably be a nostalgic watch in a way for older viewers because of the stage of life Cole and his friends are at – their early 20s when they are trying to find their place in the world. Their struggle to do what they love opposed to wanting to hold a job with a stable and substantial income struck a chord with me.
Another group of people who would have a soft spot for this movie are creatives and those desiring to enter the creative industry. The movie reflects the dilemma to get a regular office job or to persevere despite a high chance of failing. Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez) who desires to be an actor, is Cole’s opposite in the career decisions he makes. While Cole is constantly working on his track and scoring gigs, Ollie very nearly settles for a desk-bound job and does not seem to have any artistic pursuits. He is more focused on where his next paycheck is coming from.
There are a few minor problems which dampen the good impression the movie left. A clear sense of double standards was apparent in the movie. James is seen fooling around with other girls with no consequence while Sophie is expected to stay faithful without question. Although there is a lot of room for the fleshing out of the characters and elaboration on how certain events played out, the flow of the storytelling is fine for the most part and the aptly picked soundtrack makes for an enjoyable ride at the theatre.
We Are Your Friends has themes of self-discovery, dealing with the doubt of succeeding, and second-guessing oneself. It closes with a touch of poignancy and invites the viewer to ruminate on the question of whether we will ever be better than this- than what we are now.
We Are Your Friends is rated M18. Catch it in cinemas from 24 September 2015.
View the trailer here:
