Set during the waning years of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, this annoyingly nostalgic coming-of-age drama tells the story of some 18-year-old kids who start a punk band to protest the overbearing government. Inspired by the Clash and the Stray Cats, they enjoy some success, but infighting, drug abuse, and the proverbial man threaten to derail them. Director Richard Rericha has a clear affinity for the counterculture that helped propel Czechoslovakia toward the Velvet Revolution, but ultimately he’s more interested in frivolous dramatics than exploring any sociopolitical themes; aside from a few references to the Eastern Bloc and Gustav Husak, the story could be unfolding at any time or place. In Czech with subtitles.
Don’t Stop
1 hour 38 min • 2013