Title: Acid Test
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Jennifer Waldo
Starring: Juliana Destefano, Brian Thornton, Mia Ruiz
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

What It Is: Young Jenny (Destefano) is an ideal student, good grades, listens to her parents but is she happy? As Jenny begins to rebel she fines herself drawn to the Riot Grrl! movement floating across the 1990s. It’s 1992 and she is on a LSD-laced journey of self-discovery. Learning from experiences and trying to live a different lifer then the one being paved by her strict Reagan-era yuppie father. A future she doesn’t envision for herself.

What We Think: I actually loved what Jennifer Waldo did here. She took her pretty to the point short and turned it into a very good coming of age adventure. The semi-autobiographical nature of the film is something you can certainly invest yourself in. Even if sometimes Jenny’s decisions seem irrational that’s…well that’s sort of what teenagers do. Juliana Destefano does such a nice job of getting into the right mindset of Jenny. This isn’t an easy role. She nails it. Even if the writing is a little on the weak side the performances and visual decisions made by Jennifer Waldo elevate the project overall.

Our Grade: B-, This is a great little film that isn’t going to get a ton of press. We’re here to tell you that you should check it out! Because it’s a coming of age tale told from a unique and rather interesting perspective. One that isn’t often seen much. It’s well acted and well directed. The script needs a little work but doesn’t betray any of the other elements. Be sure to check out our interviews on YouTube with writer/director Jennifer Waldo and star Juliana Destefano. And make sure you check out this film now that it is out in the world for your consumption. You won’t regret it.