Sunday, March 27, 2016

Cult film "Better Luck Tomorrow" 2002 stands up over time

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) & premiered at Sundance back in 2002. It went onto gross $3.8 million at the U.S. box office. The production was a mere $250,000 & on that budget it became a hit movie. The Indie film was released at the foreign box office, but only in South Africa nabbing $6,000. 

It is loosely based on the real life murder of a high school student by his classmates at Orange County, California. It was known in 1992 as the "Honor Roll Murder." Five Asian-American seniors live in suburbia whose parents are upper class. They're smart, rich & want something more out of their boring high school days. So, they begin scamming money from the high school system. It all ends up with the murder of another rich teen who wanted more than just his money. 

"Better Luck Tomorrow" has become a cult classic. It is one of those films that brought Asian American cinema into the modern 21st Century. It shows us high school kids who make decisions that can be good & bad that pushes them into adulthood. (I haven't seen this since 2003 & it really resonates. You can see the budding talent of director Justin Lin).

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