The less said about “The Kingston High,” the better. This mild, meandering DV feature follows a trio of teenage misfits who make an internal bet regarding which one will score with the hottest babe during a night of post-prom party crashing. For anyone who’s seen at least one teen-oriented film in the past five years, there will be a thudding sense of “been there/done that” in viewing this effort.
Despite excess verbosity in the screenplay and an ensemble who appear to be several years beyond the concerns of prom protocol, “The Kingston High” is not without some merit. Director Stephen Townsend has a considerable talent for creating a slick and professional production on a budget which is roughly equal to the pastry bill from “American Pie” and the film is happily unapologetic in its advocacy for smoking pot. Furthermore, the demographic make-up of the cast is richly multi-culti, with a strong African-American presence, and “The Kingston High” is the rare American teen flick which is cast so it actually looks like it was made in America and not Finland.
