Trashy: Coming-of-Age Teen Drama That Leaves Behind Poignant Life Lessons

Writer-director Alyssa Standen’s Trashy is a 25:02-minute long love letter to Ohio and retro filmmaking that comes with a distinctive exploitative-narrative style. Heavily influenced by the late 2000s’ Television, Standen presents a well made, neatly scripted short that underscores the themes of friendship, character development and crime in this teenage drama.

Unlike most films of this genre, Standen relies less on dialogues, and more on the teenage body language to propel the story forward. The characters are well etched out, making them relatable and realistic. For instance, Naomi (Emma Reinagel) has her conservative Catholic Grandma (Diana Mishlan) who becomes the pivotal point that helps one understand Naomi as the rebel. Her need to be defiant is justified and easily accepted. At the same time, when estranged cousin Courtney (Makayla Quillen) shows up, the Grandma’s reluctance at the reunion spells out the character dynamics and equation and the subsequent development of the story. And, what makes it doubly engaging is that much like how teenagers usually remain unpredictable, and ignorant or confused about themselves, Trashy leaves enough room for the characters to exhibit these qualities–making the film utterly visceral and raw in its tone and ergo, in viewing.

DoP (Dane Etto) gets to pay homage to Ohio, right from the start. The colour palette is a dusky brown that evokes both nostalgia and discomfort, as if the time is suspended between two eras and the camera movement lingers between characters, letting the audience feel the dread and excitement or the mad rush of euphoria when Naomi breaks free to catch up with her newly made friends, played by Suri (Alyssa Standen), Damien (Dan de Groh), Chris (Jason Diers) and Amber (Ember Burns). The slightly older Trent (Matt Kane), a perfect addition to this ensemble cast makes the storyline a riveting, edgy and broody short.

Composer (Phil Bernstein) brings forth a background score that feels like a snug fit around the story. The sound design incorporates everyday noises and blends it seamlessly into the film; be it the chirping of the birds or the nightly cicadas rhythm, or church bells–it’s as if the town comes alive and you become a part of it, vicariously living through the characters’ journey. And, so when an innocent night of debauchery turns into a sinister reckoning of both character and fate, the story hits hard. This isn’t your average teenage drama–its real, sadly even eponymous to its title; worse a testament to the fates of many teenagers.

Standen is lucky to have found her cast. They’re terrific performers and nearly perfect for the roles they have been cast for. And, what makes their performances believable is the easy chemistry they share between one another. There’s no attempt at upstaging or overriding their character’s arc. And, to give credit where it’s due, the makeup and costume design simply helps elevate the success of this film. Ultimately, Standen knows that it’s the story and its setting that will always remain pivotal for this short and she ensures it remains that way.

Trashy is an engrossing teenage crime drama that highlights the repercussions of having an unsupportive home environment and the disastrous consequences it leads to when coupled with the lightheadedness of teenage years. Dramatic, lesson-imparting and a visual treat, Trashy can be added to your list of must-watch!

Watch Trashy Short Film