Disillusionment, confusion and chaos in Gregg Araki’s ‘Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy’
During the 1980s, the teen movie genre blossomed with the release of films penned or directed by John Hughes, such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. These films were hugely popular, with many audiences seemingly resonating with his depiction of youth culture and relevant issues – but how realistic were they really? Enter Gregg Araki, who began making low-budget movies at the end of the same decade.
It quickly became apparent that Araki’s work, which depicted the lives of teenagers and young people, was considerably more relevant to the cultural and political climate, exploring issues such as AIDs, homophobia and general disillusionment caused by the state of a vapid, consumerist society. After making underrated movies such as The Long Weekend (O’ Despair) and The Living End, Araki released the first instalment in his ‘Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy’, Totally Fucked Up, in 1993, a movie that continues to resonate.
While it is hard to imagine teenagers of today finding much in common with Hughes’ work, Araki’s movies, specifically the ‘Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy’, are continuously being discovered by new young audiences. There’s something so effortlessly cool about the series, which also includes the titles The Doom Generation and Nowhere. Araki’s characters are uncensored and real, spouting dialogue that is hilariously stupid but also completely faithful to the way teenagers talk (“You’re not even human, are you? You’re like a life-support system for a cock!”).
In each movie, the characters are bored with the mundanity of their lives, facing an increasing sense of despair as they navigate a cultural climate defined by endless TV, easy capitalist consumption and bigotry. In Totally Fucked Up, handheld camcorders document this disillusionment, with each teenager expressing their own unique attitudes to sex. Araki wasn’t afraid to address potent topics within the film, such as the rife homophobia being spread by American politicians and the rising suicide rates among gay men. The movie presents a sense of fear and confusion that many teenagers can really relate to, and Araki’s DIY sensibility allows audiences to connect with the characters as though they are real people.
The Doom Generation is considerably more polished, with Rose McGowan and James Duval starring as a straight couple who must go on the run after accidentally killing a store clerk. Plenty of violence and sex ensues, painting an uncanny and vivid picture that truly communicates the absurdity of ‘90s America. The movie is a strange trip, full of neo-Nazis and brutality, yet it is innately sleek and stylish, attesting to Araki’s ability to blend powerful thematic exploration with rich aesthetics and dialogue that seamlessly reflected the cultural zeitgeist.
This idea of destruction, disillusionment and despair comes full circle in Nowhere, which actually features an impending apocalypse. In fact, several characters are turned into aliens, something that sounds wholly unrealistic (of course) but somehow doesn’t make the movie feel like anything less than a raw and honest depiction of adolescence. It is mind-boggling that Araki was able to tap into such a sense of realism while simultaneously flirting with incredibly surreal imagery. Yet, if anyone is going to achieve this, it’s Araki.
Nowhere contains an insane soundtrack that includes artists like Sonic Youth, Massive Attack, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Lush, and The Chemical Brothers. Araki’s love of good music elevates the palette of his films, specifically Nowhere, to even greater levels, with these tracks fully immersing us in the characters’ world. Additionally, the set design and costumes that define Nowhere are striking to behold, with bright colours, campy silhouettes, and unusual interiors making the film feel like an enticing fever dream.
Araki’s trilogy of teen angst feels like a rare example of directors truly ‘getting it’, tapping into a cinematic language that feels wholly loyal to its subjects. Unapologetically camp and funny but also incredibly bleak, Araki’s ‘Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy’ remains a cornerstone of both the New Queer Cinema movement and youth-oriented filmmaking. Totally Fucked Up, The Doom Generation and Nowhere are a delight to revisit, even if they do leave you feeling rather pessimistic about society. Rather, they provide a welcome antidote to the mainstream, revelling in all things bizarre and transgressive.
