Giddy Stratospheres Review: A Punk Fueled Story That Doesn't Quite Sing

Release date: September 14, 2021
Running time: 67 minutes
Written and Directed By: Laura Jean Marsh
Starring: Laura Jean Marsh and Jamal Franklin

Daniel and Lara, our Giddy Indie Kid Soul Mates, spiral in the center of the storm and broken glass that was the 00's Indie Music Scene. Beautiful, mischievous and disheveled, and on a quest for the ultimate Euphoria, Hedonism and Excitement that comes with dancing and thrashing on the front row to your new favorite song by your new favorite band. They don't miss a gig. They don't miss a beat.

Giddy Stratospheres is a punk movie through and through, with a great punk soundtrack that really is a love letter to this time.  I liked hearing the music and the high energy sounds provided a nice energy for the overall film.  And both Daniel and Lara are fully committed to the punk scene, with some great fashions and a rebellious attitude that borders on reckless throughout the film.  And these two are the main focus for good reason, their chemistry is fun to see.  They get along well and provide some fun interactions.  And although the film is not the easiest to follow, it does allow for some growth with the characters.  I especially liked how some characters are viewed in a completely different light by the end of the film.

However, as charming as the premise is and as much as I enjoyed the soundtrack, the story of Giddy Stratospheres just doesn't hold up.  The story has a major plot twist that is interesting, but doesn't have the emotional impact it should have.  I also liked the main pair, but they tended to reuse the same pet names over and over, which was so often it was noticeable.  The first part of the film doesn't have much of a sense of purpose, and we spend a good amount of time without really knowing what the main point of the film is.  And in a movie that is only 67 minutes long, that is not a good thing.  Some of the characters are out there, but they also feel like caricatures for a different type of movie, one that is not supposed to be grounded in a real world time.  And after the big plot twist, the film barrels towards a conclusion that also has a resolution that seems a little too quick.  I felt like more could have been explored after the twist, and the characters could have done more to establish emotion with the viewers before it.  Basically, I wanted more because I did like a lot of this film, it just felt short and rushed.  I don't doubt that this film had budgetary issues, but it definitely feels like budget was a concern here as the film is relatively short without being exciting enough to keep your interest.

Giddy Stratospheres has a charming main cast and an interesting story, but the short run time and inconsistent story means that you can't fully appreciate all this has to offer.

Rent it.

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Giddy Stratospheres is available digitally and on demand on September 14, 2021.  

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