Austin Film Festival Review: Acid Test

There’s a lot of frustrated about in the patriarchy, and the Riot Grrrl movement embodied that frustration. That tension is explored in Acid Test, which follows Jenny (Julianna Destefano), a seemingly-perfect student and Harvard legacy whose growing interest in the punk scene and an acid trip make her question her plans.

With energetic sequences set against the backdrop of the 1992 election, Acid Trip starts promisingly. Unfortunately, the coming-of-age piece quickly loses grasp of that momentum, and falls into a much less engaging family drama that often feels as if it’s asking questions and centering the rhetoric of certain characters that conflict with its own message.

While it is clear that the film is heavily inspired by a cultural revolution, the predictable plot, and often forced dialogue make it hard to recommend to anyone other than the most fervent fans of the 90’s subcultural movement (who will definitely want to watch it). Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that there's enough here for most viewers to have a good trip.

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Acid Test

Texas Independent Feature
Austin Premiere

Austin Film Festival, Oct. 21-28. Find all our news, reviews, and interviews at austinchronicle.com/austin-film-festival.