Echo Boomers Review: An Encapsulation of Millennial and Financial Angst

Release date: November 13, 2020
Running time: 94 minutes
Stars: Lesley Ann Warren, Michael Shannon, Alex Pettyfer, Patrick Schwarzenegger
Director: Seth Savoy
Writers: Kevin Bernhardt, Jason Miller, Seth Savoy

Based on a true story, five college graduates decide the best way to get back at the unfair economy and live the life they've always wanted is to steal from Chicago's richest and give to themselves.

Echo Boomers is a high energy expression of millennial angst and anger at the current financial situation.  The film follows a group of friends who break into unoccupied ultra rich houses and steal their valuables.  However, they also unleash their unrest with their own past traumas and the current financial predicament by trashing the houses.  And the destruction scenes are something to watch.  The film pulls no punches in its dismantling of these houses. From trashing furniture, children's toys, glass everything, expensive art and clothes, the film is a one stop demolition shop.  It is compelling to watch and must have been very fun (or unnerving) to film.  And overall, this forms the main shock value of the movie.

The film features a wonderful cast with a nice mix of known names and up and comers.  Michael Shannon is the best known name, and he does a great job as the kids overarching boss and fence, but he doesn't have much screen time overall (which isn't a surprise in an indie like this).  The main cast are the young, angry millennials who take from the rich and trash in the process.  And the main character here is Patrick Schwarzenegger, who is a great choice as Lance.  He has the right combination of personality and talent to really draw the audience into the film.  However, I liked him more at the start when he was less enthusiastic about the whole scheme; it seemed more fitting with his character.  Later he takes some turns that lead to exciting movie moments, but feel slightly unnatural.  However, overall he is a character you can root for and his emotional journey leads to an exciting film.  Alex Pettyfer has been in some big movies, but hasn't been seen much recently. He was great as the boss of the gang, with a quiet strength that made it clear he was the leader. And Gilles Geary as Lance's cousin Jack was another stellar choice.  He turned on the charm at the right times but also could be downright ruthless when needed.  Actually, the entire crew was well cast and did a good job playing on each other throughout the film.  There are some funny interactions that happen during and after the heists that really help make these kids feel like genuine characters.  

And the story overall is an exciting one, with some entertaining heists, riveting destruction, and music that will get your blood flowing.  It also is nice to have a heist film that is filled with tension without having a lot of violence involved.  It would have felt like too great a leap with this situation and cast so I am glad that writer / director Seth Savoy restrained that part.  The film also acts as a good cautionary tale about how easy it is to get caught up in the moment and be led down a path you hadn't anticipated.  However, if there is a negative it is that the film is based on real events, but doesn't seem to follow a specific set of them.  Seth mentioned that these break ins did happen, but he created this story based on those rather than to closely mirror those.  On the one hand, that makes for a more exciting story and film, but on the other, I lost some of the personal connection with the characters after there was no end of movie scene detailing what happened to them.  And, this film has some quick character choices / changes that can seem unnatural even if they are in service of the overall story.  

Echo Boomers has an excellent cast, an exciting story, and some very visceral scenes of destruction in this encapsulation of millennial and financial angst.  

Watch it.

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Echo Boomers will be available in theaters, digitally, and on demand November 13. 

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Check Out Our Interview with Director and Co-Writer Seth Savoy!