SOUND OFF
Sound Off: Max Joseph's 'We Are Your Friends' - What Did You Think?
by Alex Billington
August 28, 2015
Now that you've seen it, what did you think? The world is ours. Now playing in theaters everywhere is Max Joseph's We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron as a budding DJ in Los Angeles trying to make a name for himself. The fun cast in this dance music movie includes Wes Bentley, Emily Ratajkowski as Sophie, plus Jonny Weston, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer and Jon Bernthal. Efron learns that he needs to trust himself to make the most of his creativity. So how is it? Does this actually have something to say? Is it worth seeing? Once you've seen it, leave a comment with your thoughts on We Are Your Friends.
Spoiler Warning: We strongly urge everyone to actually see the film before reading ahead, as there may be spoilers below. We also encourage all commenters to keep major spoilers from the film to a minimum, if possible. However, this is an open discussion from this point on! Beware of spoilers, don't ruin this movie!
To fire up the crowd and get this party started, I actually really enjoyed We Are You Friends. It's better than you may be thinking. I was actually expecting it to be along the lines of Mia Hansen-Løve's Eden, a fantastic house music movie featuring Daft Punk, based on some of the early previews. It turns out that's not the case at all, and this is something entirely of its own creation. It is a glamorous story based around the party scene in LA, but it's also about how to not get lost in the crowd. I've always defended Zac Efron, as I think he has quite a bit of talent that often goes unrecognized, and he does a great job in here tackling this kind of role.
One of my favorite scenes is near the end. After all that talk of going out and recording his own sounds, and after he finally finds some good real world loops, he's still missing something. And it isn't until he's running and takes off his headphones and just listens to the world around him that he finds true inspiration. I really loved seeing this moment because so many people are wrapped up in their own world wearing earbuds or headphones everywhere they go, yet when you actually take a moment to listen to the world around you, it's invigorating what you may discover. We Are Your Friends has some cheesy twists in it, and odd character flaws, but there are some great moments that actually make it a worthy watch. If you enjoy dance music.
So what did you think of Max Joseph's We Are Your Friends? Good times, or a waste of time?
We will remove any comments that indicate you have not seen the movie, as this area is meant to discuss the film only once you have seen it and can talk about your thoughts. Please keep the comments civilized!
Reader Feedback - 18 Comments
1
This movie just became the new Holy Grail for EDM lovers. Otherwise it's a decent story that could have been better because I can't believe Zack Efron as a DJ.
tyban81 on Aug 28, 2015
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3
I think a bit more interaction between the friends would have been nice. Maybe more drama from the party and a little bit more explanation when killing off a character. I think the movie should have been 10 to 15 minutes longer.
tyban81 on Aug 28, 2015
4
OH MY GOD DUDE SPOILERS WTF
davidshaw on Aug 29, 2015
5
If only they warned you of this ahead of time!
Wes Draven on Aug 30, 2015
6
haha. He obviously skipped that part of the article
David Diaz on Aug 31, 2015
8
I'm not young and it looks interesting.
ummmmmmmm on Aug 29, 2015
9
I just can't get my head into the idea that making EDM music is that much of a mental struggle. It's essentially music for 6 year old children's birthday parties. Maybe if it was about the Detroit techno scene it would be more interesting, but I imagine a great chunk of the planet will eat this up like a McDonalds happy meal.
Carpola on Aug 29, 2015
10
I mix my own dance music on soundcloud and I think you see it in a right way. EDM is very boring and childish, and I always have a hard time to find a right track for my mixes.... It isn't just mature enough and very easy to make with the right program on your laptop...
ari smulders on Aug 30, 2015
11
With VST's it really isn't so hard now, I'd got some to make echo-ing sound tracks for short animations, but ended up making a whole album quite easily and a record company released it. At no point did I smash my room apart because the sound wasn't good enough. 🙂 Post up a link to your mixes Ari, would be good to give em a listen.
Carpola on Aug 30, 2015
12
https://www.mixcloud.com/arismulders/king-kunta-from-down-under-42-tribe-mix/ Give it a try,i just mix for fun!
ari smulders on Aug 30, 2015
13
I tried to send you a link but it's rejected by firstshowing.net .... You can find me on soundcloud srce3316 or on mixcloud 3316...
ari smulders on Aug 31, 2015
14
Worst film opening for a film released in over 2000 screens not counting for inflation. Ouch!
David Diaz on Aug 31, 2015
15
"Now that you've seen it..." - But nobody saw it! I must say that the trailer for this movie had absolutely nothing in it to draw an audience. Other than some people hanging out at a party, EDM wasn't even mentioned as having anything to do with the plot, and the title doesn't hint at it either. Worst movie marketing campaign in history!
bumboclot on Aug 31, 2015
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i hope you like it!
ari smulders on Aug 31, 2015
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