How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2017 (2017)
Founder	John Cameron Mitchell (director), Philippa Goslett (screenplay)
Products	Science fiction romantic comedy film

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a 2017 science fiction romantic comedy directed by John Cameron Mitchell, who collaborated with Philippa Goslett on the screenplay. The movie adapts Neil Gaiman's 2006 short story bearing the same title. The cast includes Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Ruth Wilson, Matt Lucas, and Nicole Kidman. Filming commenced on 9 November 2015 in Sheffield.

The film made its debut at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2017. It was subsequently released in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2018 through StudioCanal UK and later in the United States on 25 May 2018 via A24. The box office earnings totaled $385,733.

Premise

The story follows Enn, a young punk, and his friends who encounter alien teenagers visiting Earth to undertake a coming-of-age ritual. Enn develops feelings for Zan, a defiant extraterrestrial fascinated by him. Together, they explore the punk rock scene of 1970s London, culminating in a confrontation between punks and aliens.

Cast

• Elle Fanning portrays Zan, a rebellious alien intrigued by Earth's culture
• Alex Sharp plays Enn, a punk comic artist and Zan’s romantic interest
• Nicole Kidman appears as Queen Boadicea, a veteran punk overseeing the local gathering spot
• Matt Lucas features as PT Wain, one of the alien leaders
• Ruth Wilson acts as PT Stella, another alien leader
• AJ Lewis as Vic, Enn’s closest friend
• Ethan Lawrence as John, part of Enn’s circle
• Edward Petherbridge as PT First, supreme alien leader
• Joanna Scanlan as Marion, Enn’s mother
• Tom Brooke as PT Waldo, Zan’s parent and alien leader
• Martin Tomlinson as Slap, punk vocalist managed by Boadicea
• Rory Nolan as young Enn, offspring of Zan and Enn

Filming

Principal photography started on 9 November 2015 in Sheffield, which served as a stand-in for London.

Release

In September 2015, distribution rights for the US were secured by A24. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2017. It was released in the UK on 11 May 2018 by StudioCanal and in the US on 25 May 2018.

Reception

On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The critical consensus reads: "How to Talk to Girls at Parties exhibits energy and ambition but ultimately lacks focus to fully develop its themes into a unified narrative." On Metacritic, it earned a score of 50 out of 100 from 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average" feedback.

David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter praised Elle Fanning's and Nicole Kidman's performances but felt that the film’s effort to introduce political depth was insufficiently developed, leading to diminished narrative clarity and an overly complex adaptation of Neil Gaiman's original work. Similarly, Owen Gleiberman of Variety observed that although the movie tackles raw issues such as individuality versus conformity, it does not successfully translate these themes into an engaging story for viewers.

External links

• Original short story "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" by Neil Gaiman