16teen Xxx (Movie Review)

Sixteen is an age of transition: it marks your last Halloween before entering adulthood, and perhaps your final trick-or-treating opportunity before having to secure employment. Hormones also become increasingly prominent at this point; girls may feel pressured to fit in or face being bullied.

Chantelle (Tamsin Egerton) finds her new high school classmates judge her for being different, and as she attempts to find a place for herself within its social hierarchy she struggles between new friendships, romance and work obligations.

Liam (Martin Compston) lives with his cranky grandfather and drug-dealing stepfather Stan while waiting for his mother Jean’s release from prison. Liam hopes of buying her a caravan with its own permanent pitch overlooking the Clyde, but in order to afford that goal he needs money. So in order to acquire some, he turns to theft and dealing heroin alongside dodgy gangster Pinball in order to earn some.

While 16teen Xxx will no doubt bring back memories of being young adults, its plot and characters fall flat when it comes to elevating it beyond simply another typical teen flick. At times it feels more like an action movie with showy stunts and gadgets for boys rather than an authentic depiction of teenage life. Furthermore, its lead antagonist falls far short in being anything other than caricatures of male fantasy; with more effort put in by its script and direction this could have reached higher heights altogether.