There’s something special about Cronies that resonated strongly with me as I watched the film (and even carried over hours after the credits rolled). Whether it was the depiction of a Midwestern summer afternoon, the familiar characters in which I saw some of my own friends, or just my over-thinking nature of examining how friendships change throughout the years, I felt attached to Cronies, and there’s enough to like and dissect within the film that I believe anybody would enjoy it. Read on as I further explain why Cronies surprisingly became one of my top films from Sundance this year.
Cronies
Director: Michael J. Larnell
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 25, 2015 (Sundance)
Louis (George Sample III) is a 20-something trying to get his life on track to provide for his girlfriend and their daughter. However, he appears to be held back from growing up thanks to his childhood friend, Jack (Zurich Buckner), dragging him around in the same monotony that Louis is desperate to escape. Adversely, Louis’ new friend and co-worker, Andrew (Brian Kowalski), represents a fresh direction for Louis that could help with his growth. However, as Jack and Andrew meet for the first time, bravado initially takes over as they both size each other up. As the day progresses, the three of them form a sense of camaraderie, even as the dangers of their day spent together grow more and more threatening.
Cronies is framed like a documentary where various interview segments with the three men take place throughout the film. It’s in these segments that we begin to see each characters’ true feelings about one another and their various situations. Admittedly, the interviews can be seen as a cheap way to flesh out each character’s arc and development, but they’re a stylistic decision made by writer/director Michael J. Larnell, and one that I definitely enjoyed. Also abetting Larnell’s vision is the film being shot almost entirely in black and white, save for a few flashback scenes that appear in color. It’s a nice aesthetic, especially when Larnell flips what we’ve come to expect in regards to how color is used to represent time and memory.
Most importantly, Cronies examines friendships in a way that feels natural without becoming too heady or preachy. We’ve all found ourselves playing the role of Louis, Jack, and Andrew at some point in our lives, and we’ve all had friends very much like them, as well. It’s this universal understanding of friendship that makes Cronies so enjoyable. There’s no doubt that Larnell won’t suffer any sense of a sophomore slump with his next film, especially considering how strong this debut is.