Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In 1970s London, a teenage outsider named Enn falls in love with a rebellious alien girl named Zan, who has come to Earth for a party. Together, they navigate the complexities of intergalactic culture and the trials of first love.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a genuinely singular genre mashup — Neil Gaiman's short story transplanted into a vivid, anarchic 1970s punk London setting colliding with surreal alien cult imagery. The premise and execution are highly distinctive, blending coming-of-age romance, sci-fi weirdness, and punk-era atmosphere in a way that feels unlike almost anything else. The plot, however, struggles with tonal inconsistencies and loses coherence as it progresses, feeling overstretched from its short-story origins. Acting is serviceable — Elle Fanning brings genuine energy and Nicole Kidman commits fully to her eccentric punk impresario role, though the leads lack consistent chemistry. Cinematography captures the garish punk aesthetic with some flair but occasionally feels overly theatrical. The ending deflates rather than satisfies, failing to emotionally resolve the central romance in a meaningful way.