Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a socially awkward teen, recovering from his best friend’s suicide. Like every other teenager, he’s convinced nobody understands him so he’s astonished to find camaraderie with a bunch of precocious outcasts, including proto-hipster Sam (Emma Watson) and her gay stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller).
Set in 1991 — which isn’t immediately spelt out, leaving the audience to wonder how these teens have heard of a “mixtape” — Perks is fairly formulaic teen fare. It only trips up when striving to be different.
We know Sam is edgy because she listens to The Smiths and loves The Rocky Horror Picture Show (that’s what “deep” teens are always into, after all). And yet we’re supposed to believe neither she nor any of her gang has ever heard of David Bowie.
Miller is a standout as Patrick, but only if you can forget his recent turn as the eponymous psycho in We Need To Talk About Kevin. Otherwise, it’s difficult to read that mad, camp gleam in his eye as being innocent.
Former wooden wizardess Watson is better than expected, generating enough warmth for us to believe Charlie might fall under her spell.
Perks skates around darker elements, and while too cute to be confronting, it’s an engaging, entertaining slice of adolescence.
