Like Me
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Hypnotic experimental movie about millennial malaise.
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Like Me
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What's the Story?
In LIKE ME, Kiya (Addison Timlin) decides to make videos of a series of random acts and post them online. She starts by donning a creepy mask and holding up a convenience store, humiliating the clerk in the process. Then she takes a homeless man out for a meal and tries to get him to tell her a story. Meanwhile, another video blogger, Burt (Ian Nelson), berates Kiya mercilessly. She checks into a hotel with colorfully painted rooms and pretends to seduce the proprietor, Marshall (Larry Fessenden). But she ties him to the bed and forces him to eat junk food until he vomits; she films that and posts the video. She then kidnaps Marshall and takes him on the road. They talk, tell stories, and do drugs. But when Kiya's pet rat escapes, Marshall takes the opportunity to get away, too. Finally, Kiya decides to meet Burt in person and give him a piece of her mind.
Is It Any Good?
More like experimental cinema than a mainstream movie, this dark, unsettling, somewhat plotless film takes an unusual, colorful, and arty look at millennial narcissism and loneliness. The results are hypnotically compelling. Newcomer writer-director Robert Mockler uses twitchy video pieces -- a second or two of footage jerking back and forth -- throughout Like Me, sprinkling bits of disturbing behavior in between the segments; this makes them seem even more dislocated and less like a story. Occasional oddities, like a campfire turning into a bank of glowing TV monitors, further the strangeness.
It's Timlin who creates the through line. She's bemused, often curious, sometimes unsure, and always compelling, even as Kiya's actions become more and more unhinged. Her unlikely friendship with Marshall (cult horror favorite Fessenden) also provides some emotional pull. In one scene, Kiya nearly shows evidence of her crime to a little girl, simply to make a connection. But in the final scene, Mockler lets the camera linger for a long time on the image of a beach; there's no more video feed, no more artiness ... just some hard reality.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Like Me's violence. Was it thrilling or shocking? Is it gratuitous, or used for a purpose? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What does the movie have to say about media and the internet? Are all the posts, comments, and responses hateful and violent? Why do these things get so much attention?
How does the movie depict drugs and smoking? Are they glorified? Do they look cool? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Does Kiya seem too young to engage in sexual behavior? How far does the movie go with its depiction of sex?
Does the movie have a story, or is it closer to non-narrative or experimental filmmaking? What's the difference? What is the movie trying to say?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 26, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: April 3, 2018
- Cast: Addison Timlin , Ian Nelson , Larry Fessenden
- Director: Robert Mockler
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Kino Lorber
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 85 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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