'Bellflower' begins with indie romance, then turns to violence

R (disturbing violence, strong sexuality, pervasive strong language, nudity, drug use); 105 min.

Bellflower has been the darling of the film-festival circuit this year, earning accolades for first-time director/writer/star Evan Glodell. And there's certainly something to admire about a guy with such a singular, distinctive vision. It's just that his vision reeks of indie pretension.

An occasionally inspired but often tedious mashup of "mumblecore" (slackers and hipsters sitting around jabbering) and revenge-horror sensibilities (slackers and hipsters, who don't know how to fight, trying to kill each other), Bellflower is tailor-made for midnight showings in college towns in perpetuity.

Glodell is Woodrow. He and his childhood friend Aiden (Tyler Dawson) are obsessed with the apocalyptic "Mad Max" films and are assembling a flamethrower in their spare time. Woodrow meets feisty Milly (Jessie Wiseman) at a local bar.

Sparks fly but Milly has baggage, and that's what turns sweet, goofy Woodrow into a would-be Dirty Harry -- if Dirty Harry listened to Death Cab For Cutie and Pinback. An intriguing concept, Bellflower wears out its welcome long before the movie's 105 minutes are up.

Bellflower has a distinctive feel -- it sports the look of faded Kodachrome -- and Glodell manages to capture the "whatever, dude" mutterings of this clique of frenemies with the ear of someone who has been there. But it's not enough.

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-- Cary Darling