The Boonies is a high school comedy film written and directed by Brad T. Gottfred. It tells the tale of 6 childhood friends who all grew apart as they climbed up in grade levels. Each became a different high school archetype and drifted away from the others. When one of them dies in a car explosion senior year, the other five still keep their distance. That is until the night before graduation when a mass video is broadcast to the entire town. In it, Doug (Calcum Worthy), the one who died, says that he has buried a large sum of money that only “The Boonies” can find if they unite and follow the clues he has left behind for them. The five remaining friends being called out by the name of their old group decide to reunite one last time in order to find the money. But the fortune will not be made easy as they have psycho ex-boyfriends and homicidal cheerleaders with golf clubs hot on their trail.
What works so well for this flick is it’s over the top comic aspect. The six “Boonies” each represent a stereotypical high school trope, but the actors play these tropes with such an “all in” fury that it becomes part of the ridiculous humor. As the film progresses we learn that each of these characters has more to them, but it only serves to make their antics all the more entertaining. However, the banter and insults traded back and forth would only go so far if there wasn’t a pleasant core to it all. The title of this indie take its name from The Goonies and follows its formula of a mad adventure treasure hunt between friends. It marries that movie with the plethora of teen movies that have been made over the decades. Like its sources The Boonies harkens back to a more innocent and youthful time while trumpeting the power of friendship.
What makes this movie stand out are the clever and unique twists on these well-worn paths. You end up with a zany teen comedy about the perils of high school and the strength of friendship. But this story goes where other more mainstream Hollywood high school fare doesn’t tread, like for instance, a cheerleader hit squad threatening our heroes. This gives it a refreshing surreal flavor.
The film can be a bit choppy at times as some bits work better than others. For instance, a shower scene, although humorous, seems like it doesn’t quite fit into the narrative. Some of the characters can go a bit too far into their stereotypes as well which might take you out of the movie temporarily. But the movie is so extravagant in its absurdity that it almost would seem out of place if they didn’t ham it up from time to time. Despite the script having a few wrinkles and some of the performances being a little uneven there is enough done right in this film to make it an enjoyable and uplifting farce about the angst of high school. The Boonies delivers laughs and a heartwarming message about the connections we make in life, overcoming the petty mistakes we make. There are certainly more clever films out there, but for a fun time that reminds you just how surreal high school can be The Boonies has you covered.
Rating 4 out of 5
