'Gasoline Rainbow' A Review

Gasoline Rainbow is a docu-fiction drama that follows a group of five high school seniors on a road trip to the pacific coast.

The five leads use their real names and play versions of themselves, they're compelling and for the most part there's a casually effective naturalism throughout. Although the voiceover for all of them(they trade off at various points) comes across as stilted. This blending of documentary and fiction with these non-actors is interesting, it blurs the lines of reality and perhaps gets at what Herzog calls the Ecstatic Truth in its success at evoking this particular youthful transition, the ennui and the adventurousness. There is not much story to speak of just a series of events and stops on their journey from the Oregon interior to the coast. Some of which feel contrived, feel like injected(unnecessary) obstacles but overall the chemistry and charisma of the core 5 are able to smooth over these bumps without much distraction. There is one sequence where the group meets two folks who help them hop a train and those two actors feel the most real of the entire film and that scene by far the most exciting.

Shot with various cameras with various qualities the film has a rough-and-ready "gritty" type feel which mostly works. The soundtrack is mostly(if not totally) diegetic which serves in the pursuit of realism but it is slightly odd that this group of Gen Z teens don't listen to anything post 90's. The script is mostly improvised and based off a loose outline this serves the filmmakers intent for authenticity but the downside is there's a bit too much mindless partying. Ultimately these are just kids and don't have much to say or much insight about their experience, they are great at being on screen but the dialogue at times is mundane, boring, or repetitive.

Perhaps not particularly new, this feels very much in-line with recent films Nomadland and more so American Honey. Even so, there is a quiet beauty to it and gives these teens(and their generation) a film that speaks to and for them. And successfully conveys the search for and the brief attainment of a glorious freedom.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.