ANYTOWN, the new script from the writing team Dave Rodriguez and Zak Meyers is indeed an emotional rollercoaster that promises to touch on every nerve. The story unfolds within a seemingly typical day in a sleepy, generic, suburban town - quite literally, "anytown" - and introduces us to the young, voracious ensemble cast of high school students on the verge of their senior graduation. Each kid has his own agenda and their personalities are drawn out such that the reader can distinctly pinpoint their intrinsic traits: Brandon is the bull-headed leader of the crew with a misguided take on what American patriotism truly means. This is ultimately forces him to use violence to get his message heard in the most inconceivably horrifying way. In the process, Brandon's best friends are used as pawns in what Brandon believes will be makeshift counter-attack against the Iraqi terrorists for 9/11. Brandon, Mike, Kyle and Bo go from cutting class on a lazy summer day to viciously kidnapping an Indian student and committing a shocking string of crimes that will change the lives of countless people forever.

Given the serious undertones of the script, it is amazing that the characters' juvenile dialogue and rogue, youthful nature can often bring one to laugh out loud at times. It's almost daunting, considering it leaves one more vulnerable to a position of greater revulsion when the reader sees what these young kids are capable of. The pace is akin to that of a train wreck - it continually gathers more and more speed and never relents until the power-packed smash ending. Past films such as Gus Van Sant's ELEPHANT or Larry Clark's BULLY are instantly brought to mind as a comparison. ANYTOWN does not make apologies or put up any barriers - it is explicit and raw and there are many moments where one may might want to cringe, cry or simply stop and take a breath. ANYTOWN is truly an emotionally jarring slice of life.