Less Than Zero
A college freshman journeys back to Los Angeles for Christmas at the behest of his ex-girlfriend, only to learn that his former best friend is engulfed in an out-of-control drug habit.
Director(s)
Marek Kanievska
Deborah Love
Robin Holding
Trudy Ramirez
Jeff Rafner
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
Wuchak
RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After graduation, one goes off to college (Andrew McCarthy), but returns for Christmas break wherein he finds his ex-girlfriend (Jami Gertz) and, especially, his buddy (Robert Downey Jr.) struggling with drug addiction in the Beverly Hills fast lane. James Spader plays a smug high society dealer. This is the furthest thing from typical 80’s youth flicks, like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Karate Kid,” “Valley Girl,” “Footloose” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” (where there’s, admittedly, a lot of range). “Less than Zero” has the epic, artsy style of Francis Ford Coppola films like “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” (both from 1983) meshed with the chic melancholy of “Poison Ivy” (1992). My main issue is that it takes too long to get absorbed into the characters and their story. The filmmaking is gorgeous, however, which is ironic because this is a really downbeat movie. Gertz is fine, but she never did anything for me, while McCarthy is serviceable as the main protagonist, yet rather bland in a goody-goody way. Both Downey Jr. and Spader, however, de-shine in their roles (in a good way). If you favor arty, glum movies you might like this better than me, but it’s nowhere near as effective as “Poison Ivy,” a similar artsy, gloomy flick. The movie runs 1 hour 38 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area, including Malibu. WRITERS: Bret Easton Ellis (novel) and Harley Peyton (screenplay) GRADE: C+
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Less Than Zero FAQs
The directors of Less Than Zero are Marek Kanievska, Deborah Love, Robin Holding, Trudy Ramirez, and Jeff Rafner.
The cast of Less Than Zero includes Robert Downey Jr. as Julian, Flea as Musician #1, Donna Mitchell as Elaine Easton, Brad Pitt as Partygoer / Preppie Kid at Fight (uncredited), James Spader as Rip, Andrew McCarthy as Clay, Michael Bowen as Hop, Jackie Swanson as Party Girl (uncredited), Anthony Kiedis as Musician #3, Nicholas Pryor as Benjamin Wells, Brian Wimmer as Trent, Lisanne Falk as Patti, and more.
The duration of Less Than Zero is 1h 38 mins.
Yes. You can watch the Less Than Zero trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
Less Than Zero was released on 06 Nov 1987.
Less Than Zero is listed under Drama and Crime on Fanbiz.
Less Than Zero has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 6.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After graduation, one goes off to college (Andr..."
