This provocative film shows the hell that is a teenage girl.

Growing up, trying to fit in, experimenting, it’s all part of our teenage culture. This film shows the raw experiences, no fade to black, no assumptions of what happened.

Society loves to fetishize and commercialize teen girls; look at stars like Britney Spears, who were sexualized at a young age.

In the seventh grade, Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood) is a poet, gets good grades, and has a small circle of good friends. Her bedroom is still filled with teddy bears and Barbie dolls: a mother’s dream.

She is in a different world from the popular girls who move in the fast lane. 

After her run in with Evie Zamore (Nikki Reed), or “the hottest girl at school,” she realizes that she needs to grow up.

When she gets home that night, she changes her room and style, trying to fit in more with the crowd.

She befriends Evie, and talks Tracy into experimenting with drugs, exploring her sexuality, and pickpocketing strangers to go on shopping sprees. Melanie (Holly Hunter), Tracy’s mom, realizes she must step in and stop her daughter’s destructive lifestyle.

We find out secrets of both girls and see that life isn’t perfect for them, as life often isn’t perfect. 

Additionally, the gritty, soulful acting of Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed adds realism to this film.

It’s hard to cheer for either side and throughout the film you can’t tell who the good guy and who the bad guy is. This film moves at a fast pace to show just how fast you can fall into a rabbit hole of bad choices.

The cinematography is also phenomenal, and the fading from a more yellow tone to a more greenish-blue tone throughout the film ties in to how Tracy is going down this rabbit hole.

I’ve seen this film at least 10 times since I was thirteen and it really put things in perspective for me. I would rate this film a 10/10 and I think everyone should watch it.