Savage Youth

**_Coming-to-death in declining America_** Seven youths in a town 40 miles southwest of Chicago try to find meaning, purpose, love and happiness, but without a spiritual compass veer toward crime and tragedy. "Savage Youth" (2018) is a dark coming-of-age drama with gritty realism and an artsy flair similar to films like “Kids,” “White Rabbit,” "Undertow" and “Back Roads.” The difference is that this one is based on the real-life Nightmare on Hickory Street Murders that took place on January 9, 2013, although the names have been changed (as usual), along with other necessary alterations. Will Brittain is charismatic in a brooding way as Jason, patterned after the ringleader of the small gang, Joshua Miner, who was 24. The other three key white youths were 18-19 while the two black guys were 22. Being a little older with a certain amount of charisma, it’s not hard to see how he could mislead the others with his harebrained schemes. At the end of the day, this is a realistic portrayal of youths growing up in declining American despair. Don’t expect a fun time, but a sad, empty, one-note commentary. If you can roll with this, it’s effectively done, not to mention a necessary artistic documentation. The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes, and was shot in Joliet, Illinois, and Chicago. GRADE: B