Tim Hunters edgy,haunting film from 1986 that centre's around a group of stoner slacker students and how a murder does and doesn't affect them. We discover in the opening scene that John(Daniel Roebuck) has murdered Jamie,a fellow student and sits calmly smoking next to the naked body - he is observed by Tim(Joshua Miller) and then camly admits the deed to his peer group led by Layne(Crispin Glover)and Matt(Keanu Reeves) - although they all knew Jamie as well they treat the matter with indiffirnece even when confronted by the corpse. Layne(who seems to have some hold over the group) decides they must rally and protect John but the rest just don't want to get involved either way. Layne involves local drug dealer Feck(Dennis Hopper) who apparanatly killed another girl years ago and lives in a state of constant paranoia(not helped by his consumption of weed) and Layne decides that as the two have something in common he can get Feck to help John. Matt meanwhile decides he needs to involve the police in the matter which disloyality appalls Tim(who is his younger brother)but brings him closer to Clarissa(Ione Skye). Layne continues in trying to get John out of the State as his hold over the group begins to crumble and Feck begins to wonder what he has let himself for.....
Based on a true case it is masterly study in the teenage alienation and the moral vaccum that was 1980's America - filmed in a small town in wintry Oregon(long time David Lynch collabarator Fred Elmes' washed out bleached photography enhances this) it is a bleak look at the human soul and how our very in-action can be as damaging as taking action. Glover is good in the role over-doing everything and becoming a more and more isolated and ridiculous figure and even Reeves is quite good(as is Miller who was so effective as the adult trapped in the childs body in Near Dark)but its Hopper who is exellent - at first you think it will be another Frank Booth turn but its far more subtle - he killed his girl because he loved her and is appalled that John has killed but doesn't seem to care either way - he even manages to have some endearing moments with Elle - his blow up doll.....it just proves there is more to him that the usual wacko stuff he seems to get.
Its a quiet little materpeice that has a real haunting quality.
