Ham on Rye at The Brattle

Director: Tyler Taormina Run Time: 85 min. Release Year: 2019

Starring: Audrey Boos, Cole Devine, Gabriella Herrera, Hal Rothwell, Haley Bodell

Something like a DIY David Lynch version of Dazed and Confused, Tyler Taormina’s lo-fi, high-concept film examines that ineffable moment when suburban teens either ‘get out’ or stay stuck in their smalltown lives. In HAM ON RYE, it’s the Big Night and the kids are getting restless. Gathering in their cliques to prep for the life-changing evening to come, they gossip and gripe about their classmates; get dressed up in their Sunday Best; cruise the streets on foot or in their friends’ cars; pose for awkward pictures while being smothered by nostalgic relatives; and hypothesize about who they might hook up with. But there is something off about their conversations – they aren’t heading for the usual prom night rite of passage but, rather, a strange ritual that takes place at the local deli.