

A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Writing
Brendan's rapid-fire slang demands subtitles and rewards patience.
Direction
Johnson makes suburban California feel like rain-slicked 1940s LA.
Acting
Gordon-Levitt's hollow-eyed intensity anchors the absurd premise.

Director
Rian Johnson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made for under $500,000; Johnson's own high school served as primary location.
The Pin's mother serving cookies to criminals directly riffs on The Big Sleep's domestic absurdity.