Funny Pages (2022)

The story of a teenage cartoonist who rejects the comforts of his own life in search of purpose and soul behind his work is another A24 release that offers something a little bit different. Funny Pages is an odd film, centering around teen innocence and how important such drive can be at that age, but also how dangerous it can be if you follow the wrong paths. Owen Kline’s debut feature as director is an impressive piece of work, if ultimately somewhat futile. Daniel Zolghadri is excellent as Robert, a talented artist who worships his inspirational teacher; and who may or may not have been on the verge of being abused by said teacher before fate intervenes. That uneasy feeling follows through the film as Daniel leaves his family home in search of making it on his own as an artist, but the innocence of youth and desperation to make it lead him to naively being taken advantage of by some nefarious individuals, whose intentions are never made explicitly clear. But Kline’s subtlety in weaving these problematic undertones into an interesting story with some very amusing characters means that there’s plenty to enjoy here, and mark him out as a director to watch in the future. 7.1/10