Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ADULT SUPERVISION [Fantastic Fest - Austin, Texas]
Many films at this year’s Fantastic Fest are not inherently fantastic in the genre but more often than not just explores the dark side of human nature even if only by accident. "Adult Supervision" [New Wave Competition] is simple enough but also not. Its focal point is Bill (played with a reserved countenance by Gustaf Skaarsgard -- who has only done limited material it seems since "Vikings"). The story begins with a school counselor telling parents how vicious some of the taunting of the chats and social media have become with a school class. But because parents talk too, the infection of what the kids are doing seems to spread upwards. The interesting aspect is that the adults in many ways are just as bad as the kids though they do it in more subtle ways. Bill volunteers to be one of three parent chaperones to go on a class trip to an island for a camp weekend. His daughter is there plus the daughters of the other two men. One kid from the class: Kenneth is being bullied by three other boys but he still keeps hanging out with them. Bill, who seems like he was bullied as a child, tries to be understanding while one of the other parents takes a more brutish approach. He thinks the kids need discipline and lays down the law when he can. The third parent simply has a wandering eye with the counselors and has other committment issues.
No one is perfect here but the kids learn from the parents as usual. Bill’s daughter says everyone in the class is terrible and they all hate Kenneth but no one ever explains why. Bill tries to be too protective and, in a way, oversteps his bounds trying to protect the person that is being bullied. However, in a telling parallel, the same is being done to him (as we see in one lunch scene which masks itself about making funny faces). It is a joke but it is sublimely cruel when it doesn’t need to be. However, it does prove a point. In the parents cabin, there are many messages carved into the walls but it again reflects a generational trauma where hurt seemingly reigns through no matter what. Slowly but surely everybody’s true colors show even if they are trying to cover it up. The camp counselors aren't much better stuck in their own ego issues. They are not bad people but it follows the idea that empathetic people still function with selfish intent even if they don’t mean too. The teacher/supervisor back on land finally keys Bill into a truth which eventually is what undoes everyone. Everybody has their own interpretations of everything and how to deal with these behavior issues. Accidents, in this way, tend to happen organically but the rage has been building up for a while. The ending is still brutal in a way because of how the cycle keeps moving. But an aftermath scene shows that sometimes standing up is important despite the consequences as some things never change. 83%/B
By TIm Wassberg
