Newness (2017)

Newness: Directed by Drake Doremus. With Nicholas Hoult, Laia Costa, Danny Huston, Courtney Eaton. In contemporary Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media-driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical boundaries.

“Movies like these donu0026#39;t come along very often. This is my third Doremus film (after Like Crazy and Equals) and while Equals probably remains on the top of my list, Newness comes in at a close second. Newness explores the dangers and thrills of online dating in an urban world, where distractions are easily found and easier to be pursued. In the midst of it all, Martin and Gabriela are trying to find their way as a couple. The movieu0026#39;s appeal comes from its splendid directing and cinematography, which was already outstanding in Equals. The wash of hues, the angles, everything fits like a glove and helps underline the vivid and thrilling nature of the movieu0026#39;s theme. It feels organic, authentic and vigorous, not least due to the unadulterated performances of its main cast – Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa (who was already brilliant in Vicotria) have chemistry coming up the wazoo, itu0026#39;s almost ridiculous. This movie took me on an emotional roller coaster; itu0026#39;s definitely not for everyone. And itu0026#39;s not a perfect movie by any means. Watching this movie simply felt a bit like falling in love, which – in my book – always seems like a good thing.”