Dissociate From Election Anxiety With These 10 Punk Movies

If you’re like me, you use the vehicle of film as an outlet to escape the cumbersome and crushing weight of existence. Watching a story that contextualizes the world in a way that’s hopeful or life affirming makes all the scary stuff seem more manageable.

For your sake I hope you’re better adjusted than that. But if not? You are not alone, friend.

While movies are my all-time favorite artistic medium, a very close contender is music—particularly punk music.

As a mild-mannered quiet kid, punk ethos really helped me get out of my shell and view the world in a way that felt a little less scary and overbearing. While I never went full punk (my parents are nice and I was too self conscious to get a mohawk, okay), I always appreciated the humanist side of punk. At it’s core, punk represents a marginalized society rejected by basic social norms and the conscious act not to conform to something just because it’s what “you’re supposed to do”, or whatever.

Thus, in honor of a particularly anxiety-inducing election day, I’m leaning into a cathartic crossover of escapism by revisiting punk in film. I’ve assembled a list of my 10 favorites if you’d like to join.

Let’s start with a little breakdown of punk as a theme, and then meet me in the pit for the list below. OY!

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The Thematic Relevance of Punk in Film

Punk at its core is a music movement that sought to resist the more buttoned up prog and disco of the late ’70s that leaned in heavy to the idea of anti establishment. Fast, loud, and “fuck you” was the genre at its core, that inevitably grew deeper into a movement particularly attractive to youth fed up with the ideals of white picket, nuclear suburban America. Punk bands make music that made mom and dad nervous, and are very proud of it.

The punk movement in-and-of itself is intentionally hard to fully integrate too, so it became particularly easy to write off “punks” as shallow degenerates with goals reaching no further than vandalism of property and society alike. In some cases this was the case (as some of the movies below portray), but punk also has a kind heart that often is overlooked and under-appreciated. Sure, its dark side shouldn’t be ignored, but its maybe explored too cartoonishly.

Many times punk characters in films are a caricature of someone with a mohawk and sleeveless, patched jean jacket that is there to cause problems. Movies where this is the case are (mostly) ignored on this list, as I’m much more interested in how these movies use the themes of punk to explore the scarier antagonist at hand—why anyone is driven to punk, and how sometimes the most humanist, kind-hearted people turn to punk to resist the cruelties of “normal” society.

When politicians are corrupt, when families are more obsessed with a positive social image than their personal struggles within, when power is abused, when people are picked on by someone who is publicly respected—that’s where positive punk can be a powerful resistance.

Let’s explore how these films do so.

‘Suburbia’

Penelope Sheeris may very well be our queen of the depiction of punk in film.

Where her documentary trilogy The Decline of Western Civilization expertly explores the nonfiction eras of punk over the decades, Surburbia tells the story of a community of punks that shines a light on both the good and bad of punk. Honest and raw as can be, Spheeris frames the punk community at the center of Surburbia , The Rejects, as a family of lost kids that truly love and care for each other.

Its a tragic, great movie that makes an argument for the heart at the core of these punks, as troubled as many of them may be.

Side note: for those unaware, Penelope Sheeris also directed Waynes World and The Little Rascals, and its a shame we don’t talk about her more.

‘Dinner in America’

Wow, this movie is so good.

A dark romantic comedy at its core, Dinner in America tells the story of punk rocker on the run Simon (Kyle Gallner) and his biggest fan, the quiet and habitually picked on Beth (Hannah Marks), as they fall in love and find each other and stuff.

Dinner in America is great for many reasons, but something that really resonated with me is Beth’s come-up through the ethos of punk instilled in her through time with Simon. Once she’s given the freedom to standup for herself and give in to her punk-y tendencies, she doesn’t let her oppressive home life or bullies push her around anymore, and its cathartic as all hell to watch.

Sure, Simon expresses some of the grittier sides of how punk can be problematic, but we also learn its stemmed from his own home life with a prissy family that never gave him the time of day to express himself in his own way.

Also, the title track “Dinner in America” and song written by Beth and Simon within the movie “Watermelon” are both bangers.

‘SLC Punk’

As quintessential as a punk movie can be, SLC Punk is a tragic buddy movie that lauds the importance of friendship and shines a light on the horrors of how unchecked mental health can lead to dangerous addiction.

With unforgettable set pieces including a Polo-wearing Jason Segel losing his shit with a baseball bat and an unfortunate sprinkler-induced acid incident, SLC Punk is a fun ride until its heartbreaking ending.

Not to mention we love a punky Matthew Lillard narration.

‘Her Smell’

We recently released our interview with Alex Ross Perry from back when Her Smell was originally released, and am ecstatic to talk about it again so soon.

Her Smell is above all a character study of punk-gone-wrong in its riot girl lead Becky Something (Elizabeth Moss). The most interesting hook here is portraying a character who gets stuck in the dark side of punk fame, coping with the harsh realities of aging out of being cool for being so edgy.

The people around Becky are very much still punk in their own way, but they more-or-less realize there’s a path to move on and not let the “let’s problematically break everything and do a bunch of drugs” side of punk is a poisonous and destructive path.

‘Green Room’

I can’t think of a movie that better draws a line in the sand between “good” punk and “bad” punk. Considering punk is a movement that inspires.a fringe counterculture, that can sometimes manifest in some unfortunate ways. Those unfortunate manifestations can sometimes mean, well, um, literal Nazis.

Beyond the problematic sides of Americana punk culture, Nazi punks are very much real, and very much scary. Famously told to fuck off by the Dead Kennedys in “Nazi Punks, Fuck Off”—a catalyst when our “good” punk heroes perform it in the Nazi bar they stumble into in Green Room–they have been around for a bit, and they suck.

Considering the terrifying uprise in white nationalism a particularly (ahem, dirt bag) presidential candidate has had a hand is reinvigorating, Green Room has never felt more urgent in its politics than this election.

‘Return of the Living Dead’

This one is mostly fun, and the punks are mostly caricatures. A great watch for pure escapism, but also loaded with plenty of smart satire on the haphazard use of deathly weaponry by powerful institutions we’re meant to trust.

Plus, it’s shot in Louisville, and I am from there.

‘Repo Man’

Repo Man is, in fewer words, just plain awesome, yo.

It’s a movie that wears punk on its sleeve in a genuine way, defying what you expect from a movie at every turn. It’s a cult. classic of cult classics, and has maybe more punk ethos from an artistic standpoint than any other movie I can think of. It also isn’t shy about its middle finger to some of the subtly seedy banalities of Americana.

If you haven’t seen it and are reading this list with the pure intention of escapism, I highly recommend checking it out, like, right now.

‘Bomb City’

Bomb City is a smaller, likely lesser seen punk movie on this list, but its message is essential to the humanity I hope these movies help you find at the heart of the punk scene.

Following the real life murder of Brian Deneke in Amarillo, TX, Bomb City explores the unfortunate rejection of punk and how many see punks as second class citizens. Deneke was tragically killed by a football player for looking like a punk, despite historically being regarded as a genuine and kind person.

Expressing this adverse reaction to anyone marginalized is important, and although choosing to brand yourself as punk isn’t as relevant as violence against people marginalized for race or gender, among other serious threats we currently face, the message is important and remains the same.

‘Smithereens’

Much more in line with the coming-of-age themes present in Her Smell, Smithereens using punk as a lens for self discovery in the tumultuous time of our early twenties.

Exploring everything from self destruction, bad choices, and constant struggle to establish identity as a young person, Smithereens is an indie that is essential for anyone who is or has struggled with these very real, very common challenges.

The phenonemal central cast of Susan Berman, Brad Rijn, and Richard Hell doesn’t hurt, either.

‘The Decline of Western Civilization’ Trilogy

As it begins with Penolope Sheeris, so it ends with Penelope Sheeris.

As previously mentioned, Sheeris’ Decline of Western Civilization trilogy is a pitch-perfect exploration of the punk scene as it evolved over the decades. Starting with the origins of the scene, interviewing members of Black Flag, X, and Circle Jerks, among other punk notables, Sheeris explores the music and culture of punk and how and why it exists. It shows its grimier side, its humanist side, and overall celebrates the good it has to offer while also criticizing the bad.

She follows this in the sequel that explores glam rock and the artists that chose corporate buyouts and luxury over the poverty of punk for its capitalist ethics, circling back around to the ’90s era of gutter punks that society completely forgot about and left behind.

Each is great in its own right, and use the medium of documentary in a masterful form to open a window into the art, humanity, and somewhat problematic beauty of the punk scene at large.

And, remember, despite disassociation and unease, voting is still super important to making the world a better place.