film

A defining work of mid-1990s Gen X anxiety here in Ben Stiller's wonderful directorial debut, in which he also stars alongside Winona Ryder as Lelaina and Ethan Hawke as Troy. A blend of romcom and social satire, the film follows Ryder's aspiring documentary-maker and her group of drifting friends as they navigate work, relationships and the fear of selling out. Lelaina becomes caught between two very different men: Hawke's cynical, unemployed musician and slick TV executive Michael, played by Stiller, who wants to turn her raw video diary about her friends into a commercial reality show. 

Reality Bites is up there with the best expressions of the era’s slacker ethos, with an alt-rock soundtrack and much concerned discussion about media culture, authenticity and precarious employment. A cult treasure and cultural-touchstone portrayal of post-college uncertainty and the disaffection and chronic irony of Gen X.