CRONIES

Louis and Jack are lifelong friends, bound together by a childhood tragedy. Now adults, Jack spends his days drifting angrily around the streets of St. Louis, while Louis yearns for something more. Enter Andrew, Louis’ new friend from work whose very presence threatens to upset the delicate balance of the already fragile friendship. Director Michael J. Larnell’s debut feature blends the comic and the tragic perfectly, examining the bonds of platonic relationships with a sharp perspective.

Shot entirely on location in St. Louis, the film pulses with energy, following a day in the life of these young men as they attempt to grow into something more than what is expected of them. Current NYU MFA candidate Larnell wears his influences on his sleeve, offering gorgeously stark black-and-white cinematography by Federico M. Cesca and a pseudo-documentary structure that echoes the early work of his mentor and Executive Producer Spike Lee. Cronies celebrates the joys and struggles of friendship beautifully, mixing elements of New Wave cinema and contemporary urban comedy to present a fresh depiction of St. Louis life.

—Loren Hammonds