Even though XOXO is pleasing to the eye and ear, it lacks development due to an excess of characters.
The film follows five different, intertwining storylines as characters travel and attend an electronic dance music festival called XOXO. Ethan (Graham Phillips) is a young, aspiring DJ who catches his big break when one of his songs hits over a million views on YouTube. Ethan’s manager, Tariq (Brett DelBuono), has a psychedelic adventure when he arrives at the festival. Krystal (Sarah Hyland) is there to meet her soulmate, a person she met on a dating website. Shannie (Hayley Kiyoko) and Ray (Colin Woodell) are looking to spend their last day together escaping the realities of their inevitable break-up because Shannie is moving across the country. And then there is Neil (Chris D’Elia): A jaded, pessimistic music store owner who has faced his own difficulties in the music business.
Christopher Louie, who directed and co-wrote the Netflix original movie, could have cut the story lines in half and it would have been a better movie. The scenes jump from one character to another so quickly that the audience is unable to digest what happened. There is very little time for character development — Five storylines are far too many to fit into the film’s 92-minute duration. This means, on average, each character only gets roughly 18 minutes of screen time — though some characters do interact with each other, thus receiving more time on screen. Because the scenes jump frequently and characters are only shown a handful of times, what little character development there is happens suddenly. Characters come to realizations very quickly, causing the audience to wonder how they came to such an understanding.
The most interesting storylines were that of Ethan, Krystal and Tariq. Ethan's story is relatable in the sense that everyone has an aspiration they hope is attainable. When Ethan gets to live his dream, the audience has hope instilled in them. Krystal just wants to find her one true love, and she wants it to be the guy she met online. No matter how overused the romance plotline is, one cannot deny its effectiveness. Romance attracts viewers. Tariq is balancing family priorities and loyalty to his friend, a struggle between what his father wants from him or what he wants for himself. These three plotlines intersect the most. This contributes to their effectiveness to connect to the audience. If the duration of the film was dedicated to these three characters and how they cross over, it would have been a stronger film.
Because the film lacked development, there were no stand-out actors — each of them performed on the same level. The acting was not terrible, though. The film primarily has actors and and actresses that got their start on television shows, such as The Good Wife, Undateable and Modern Family. While the actors and actress have the capabilities of portraying complex characters, the flat and banal dialogue does not give them the chance to explore the deeper characteristics of their role.
It seems the goal of this film was to create an electrifying environment, which it achieved through the use of neon costumes and vibrant set designs. The colors pop on the screen and keep the attention of those watching. The sets are matched in energy by the music, which might be the aspect of the film that stood out the most. The list of artists on the soundtrack showcases how important music is in the movie. Electronic dance music DJs featured in the movie include Skrillex, Diplo, Disclosure, Alok and Galantis.
Despite the fact there is little to no character development in XOXO, those who watch the film will not finish the movie hating it. There are some aspects of the film — the music and vibrancy of the sets, for example — people will love. If anything, people will click out of Netflix and leave with a newfound or reaffirmed love for electronic dance music.
XOXO is available to stream on Netflix as of Aug. 26.
Rating: 2.5/5
