It’s hard to know where to start with a movie like Star Leaf. It’s exactly not a work of great great cinematic importance but it’s not really trying to be. The film’s aspirations are humble ones – it wants to be fun, light and kind of forgettable – and for the most part it hits those marks. In short, it’s probably closer to Sharknado than it is Jaws.
The movie fancies itself a goofy sci-fi thriller that sees a trio of friends seeking out an isolated glen in pursuit of an extra-terrestrial strain of marijuana said to provide the greatest high they’ll ever experience. However, this…um, elaborate premise isn’t done many favors by the central cast – who are about cookie-cutter as you’d expect.
Tim (Tyler Trerise) is a generic stoner, Martha (Shelby Truax) is his girlfriend who loves taking selfies and watching Twilight films and James (Julian Gavilanes) is a former-soldier suffering from PTSD. That said, there are some gems in the supporting cast such as Seth Guardrail Slaughter (Russell Hodgkinson) and the quirky Ranger Dave (Richard Craynor).
Truax’s performance as Martha is surprisingly emotive but dragged down by cliched dialogue and frequent oversexualization. There are some interesting attempts at adding depth here with James’ mental health issues but, disappointingly, it’s more of a generic plot device than anything else.
Like the characterization, the dialogue in Star Leaf is pretty much what you expect. It’s perfectly serviceable, even if it is a laden with outdated references and the use of the word ‘random’ as an adjective.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the movie’s strongest moments come when the cast indulge themselves in some drug-fueled shenanigans. There’s an attempt at innovation in direction and cinematography at work here and it pays off. The wicked lighting, dubstep-heavy soundtrack and low-budget special effects work come off as over-the-top and absurd in a way that’s absolutely appropriate for the kind of film that Star Leaf wants to be. It’s not necessarily always funny – but most of the time it manages to at least be fun.
Star Leaf is a ridiculous movie with poor special effects, cliched characters and forgettable dialogue. However, if you meet the movie on its terms – there’s some fun to be had. It’s hardly going to be a cult classic – but if you are looking for a trashy genre film to watch with friends, there are plenty of worse things available.
Review Score: TWO STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Running Time: 77 minutes
Star Leaf hits Blu-ray and DVD in Australia in September.
———-
