Afterschool 2009

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: Those with the patience to wait out Mr. Campos's overindulgences will definitely leave Afterschool unnerved, which is probably exactly what he had in mind. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: The passing of time and the evolution of technology may give it an expiration date, but more likely, Campos' film stands to be an essential document of what it was like to be a young person in the late '00s. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Anthony Campos (who was 24 when he made this jolting pic) captures the numbing psychic scramble that just might cause the YouTube generation to go morally haywire. Or become filmmakers. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The fact that this is a film of few words only adds to its hypnotic, relentless pull. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Though thin on story, the film shows poise and vision, using bleak cinema-realite techniques with chilling effect. Campos promises to be heard from again. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: It's both a supremely controlled exercise in form and tone and an intriguing exploration of the ways new technology intersects with age-old questions of dominance, control and individuality, particularly in the school setting. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: The film has a lot to say about the effect of technology on teenage interaction, how schools repress individuality and how sexual awakening causes, rather than relieves, teenage angst. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Unsettles without illuminating, marred by narcotic pacing and a blank lead performance. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: Afterschool, the almost frighteningly accomplished first feature made by Antonio Campos when he was 24, is high school as horror show. Read more