8 Movies Only a Bitter, Cynical Person Could Hate

6) Garden State

There exists a sizeable contingent of people who don’t like Garden State. I don’t deny their existence. All I deny is their human capability to feel. This movie expresses something about feelings experienced by people in their 20s that eludes most movies depicting folks in that demographic. At least, it’s been a while since something came along that spoke to issues in this way. The last one I can think of before it was Reality Bites, which is charming today but feels a little dated.

Zach Braff uses music to really great effect here, but also some compelling visual tricks and true moments that depend on solid performances. It’s a hard movie to place because it tries to balance comedic elements with heartfelt drama, and it’s not always done completely effectively. Still, it’s a movie with a lot to say, and is completely earnest in the way it says it, which is a rare thing.