Directed by: Crystal Moselle
Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures
Written by Livvy O’Brien
15/100
In the vibrant realm of the skateboarding subculture, “Skate Kitchen” initially appears to be a thrilling ride through the streets of New York City, focusing on empowering girls to feel confident in engaging in a culture that is largely saturated with men. Director Crystal Moselle’s attempt to merge the skateboarding lifestyle with the coming-of-age genre falls flat and becomes painfully short of its aspirations. While the film is visually appealing at times, and manages to capture the rebellious spirit of skating, it meanders and falters, particularly with its script.
My main frustrations with this film derive from the fact that it genuinely has a lot going for it. On paper, “Skate Kitchen” is a unique concept as it represents a very niche subculture and the challenges they confront throughout, such as identity, fitting in, gender dynamics and friendship. Despite bringing up all of these ideas, “Skate Kitchen” lacks any type of depth. As a viewer, this is so irritating because the potential for an amazing film was there. A beautiful narrative is literally handed to Moselle on a silver platter in an organic way and she still manages to fumble it. One of the most egregious issues with this film is the underdeveloped and inconsistent screenplay. The majority of the film lacks a cohesive flow which results in the audience grappling with a series of disconnected scenes that fail to build a compelling overarching story.
There are several obstacles raised that are portrayed as if they constitute a key plot of the film and would be resolved by the conclusion, however, none of those plots were resolved by the end, and they were never addressed further after they were raised. It was as if these serious monologues never happened since the characters would do the exact opposite of what they had just communicated. And the dialogue is extremely painful. Rather than delivering authentic conversations, the characters frequently engage in forced and awkward discussions that sound more like a checklist of teen girl clichés than genuine social interaction. The attempt to portray slang comes across as forced and inauthentic, adding to the general impression of phoniness that pervades the film.
“Skate Kitchen” had the potential to be a refreshing and relatable film, but I sort of found it insulting in some ways. It’s as if it was written by an immature middle-aged man who understood nothing about teenage girls and based them off of stereotypical dramatics, reducing them down to boy drama and periods. These conversations are insufferable to watch and add absolutely nothing to the storyline. Furthermore, when presented to them, the characters appear to be complex, yet, are completely two-dimensional. There was so much potential to explore into these intriguing personalities, and it feels like such a wasted opportunity that it never happened.
If I were to commend this film for one thing, it would be its skateboarding sequences. The cinematography in these specific scenes is genuinely brilliant and the actors are incredibly talented skaters. These segments highlight the raw intensity and athleticism of skateboarding and most certainly come across as being the most important thing to these characters. However, the impressive skateboarding sequences, although visually captivating, cannot compensate for the lack of substance in the plot and character development. The film seems more interested in portraying the coolness of skate culture than in delving into the emotional lives of its characters. The temporary thrill of the intense skating sessions are unable to distract from the complete lack of substance in character development and narrative cohesion. “Skate Kitchen” ultimately feels like a missed opportunity, a film that traded substance for flair and authenticity for a shallow representation of teenage rebellion.
“Skate Kitchen” Trailer
You can follow Livvy O’Brien on Letterboxd.