All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

A great example of low budget indie filmmaking that succeeds without ever truly taking off, the Kevin Smith supported The Dirties is a sufficient comedy, a love letter to cinema's influence and also a sometimes scarily accurate portrayal on alienation and bullying that can sometimes turn deadly.Written and directed by Matt Johnson and starring Johnson and Owen Williams, The Dirties was clearly a labour of love for the two budding filmmakers and the rawness of their film that moonlights as a real documentary, does often make it feel legitimately like a true life doco even if there's little reason for the cameras to be around at certain stages in the narrative.Johnson and Williams share a great on screen chemistry together and it's obvious their real life affiliation as friends has carried over to The Dirties and their love for film shines through in many of the films scenes. From classics through to modern contemporary pieces of entertainment spotting the many varied references that are spread throughout the film would be quite the job and it's interesting to contemplate the influence films have on certain people in certain situations and Johnson's character of Matt's increasingly unstable mind is a product of not only films but years of torment at the hands of school yard bullies.The dealings of The Dirties, with its titular group of nasties, is both its blessing and its curse. There's an important message here of tolerance and acceptance but never once throughout this tale are you wondering where things are going to end up and for a film that has a particularly strong opening act the last stanza (and in particular last scene) of the film's final half hour or so feels a tad underwhelming and certain scenarios feel harder to take such as the "cool" kids sudden acceptance of William's awkward Owen or the fact no one cares to stop Matt from becoming increasingly unhinged.The Dirties is a small film with a big message and while emotionally it doesn't exactly hit a home run, the film turns a fairly generic plot line into something unique and wholly watchable and it will be a great joy as movie fans to see where Johnson and William's next project might take them.3 creepy cousins out of 5

Shot in a documentary-like (some would say, found footage) style, and aided by the natural performances and dialogue of the characters, everything in this production seems eerily authentic. At first glance, The Dirties simply appears to be a cautionary tale on the bullying problem that plagues students in most schools, but it is much more than that. It also stands as a prime example of all that can still be accomplished in independent cinema today. Filmed on a budget of approximately $10,000, first time filmmaker Matt Johnson and his team simultaneously manage to create a work of art flourishing with film-making energy, while displaying an honest, realistic and chilling portrayal of those who are victimized as a result of bullying. Though it's nowhere near as graphic as the plot would lead one to believe, it's bound to bring up some controversy as it challenges one's moral values and blurs the line between what is right and wrong when seeking repentance.

I watched this film on the recommendation of my 16 year old son. I love the reality of it. I work in a high school and this director (who is also the star of the film) hits the high school vibe spot-on! All of the actors playing students look and act like teenagers (unlike most Hollywood films). The light tone turns dark soon enough with an unexpected twist. This is an extremely low budget film done right. Kudos to the bicycle scene filmed playing Lissie's Kid Cudi cover of Pursuit of Happiness. You should expect to see more films directed by Matt Johnson in the years to come. Overall this little gem is pretty impressive!

A tedious exploration of high school alienation, this glacially-paced geek-fest is more attentive to movie meta-references than the purported subject of bullying. At best, Matt Johnson and Owen Williams seem to be trying to answer the unposed questions: "Dude! What if Quentin Tarrantino re-made Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant?' Yo, wouldn't that be sweeeeet?" Sadly for them, it takes more than appropriating scripted conversation and tossing off pop culture references to create interesting dialog. And it requires characters with greater emotional range to plumb the depths of high school bullying. At the same time the writers shamelessly exploit the Columbine tragedy for a wafer-thin story arc. Any of these demerits could have been excused if the end product weren't as boring as your worst detention hall.While the acting is at times excellent, the direction is a largely listless journey though pointless scenes. The visual tedium is occasionally lifted through that 30-year-old cliché, the shaky-cam. But since it's not part of any "found footage," and since many of the shots are from hidden vantages (such as through windows and just behind desks), it implies a voyeur's perspective that doesn't match any bit of the story. And in the end, the only interesting parts of this painfully familiar material are the confusing narrative disconnections.