How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)


How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a 2017 science fiction romantic comedy film directed by John Cameron Mitchell and written by Philippa Goslett and Cameron Mitchell, based on the 2006 short story of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The film stars Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, and Matt Lucas. Principal photography began on November 9, 2015 in Sheffield.
The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2017. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2018, by StudioCanal UK, and in the United States on May 25, 2018, by A24.

Premise

Young Enn and his best friends stumble upon a bizarre gathering of teenagers who are from another planet, visiting Earth to complete a mysterious rite of passage. That doesn't stop Enn from falling madly in love with Zan, a beautiful and rebellious alien who becomes fascinated with him. Together, they embark on a delirious adventure through the kinetic, punk rock world of 1970s London, inadvertently setting off a series of events that leads to the ultimate showdown between punks and aliens.

Cast

on the film began on November 9, 2015 in Sheffield, which would be standing in for London.

Release

In September 2015, A24 acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2017. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2018 and in the United States on May 25, 2018.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 5.28/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "How to Talk to Girls at Parties has energy and ambition, but is ultimately too unfocused to do much with either — or develop its themes into a cohesive whole." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter stated that despite the charming characters of Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, its attempts to "add political substance feels less than half-cooked" and in effect sacrifices "narrative cohesion" and "overcomplicates" Neil Gaiman's 18-page story.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: "The film enunciates its raw themes — punk means individuality! the aliens are all about conformity! — but never begins to figure out how to embody those themes in a narrative that could lure in the audience."