And Then I Go

Edwin and his only friend, Flake, navigate middle school with relentless bullying and self-isolation. While Edwin is more sensitive and quiet, Flake is more impulsive and explosive emotionally. With this extreme pressure of the both of them, Flake later shows Edwin his father's gun collection and has the idea to shoot up the school, and Edwin reluctantly goes along with it because he does not want to lose his only close companion. While developing the plan, Edwin is introduced into an art project for a competition, while all that Flake is focused on is their plan, and both are targeting many times for bullying. This turns into a huge fight between the two at Flake's house, although they later make up and develop their scheme. At a convenience store, they run into an acquaintance named Herman, who's also a target in the seventh grade by a kid named Budzinski. When Edwin and Flake tell his bully to stop, he targets Herman even more, and Herman tells Edwin "Someone's got to do something", which worries Edwin, but Flake insists to let Herman in on the plan.

As the day of the shooting nears, Edwin's father's birthday is approaching as well, and Edwin has the idea of going to the lake with his father's boat. When Edwin hears this will be on the day of the shooting, it stresses him out, but Flake threatens him not to back out of the plan. The night of, Edwin says "goodbye" to his little brother, Gus, telling him how great he his, and later that night goes to the school with Flake to prepare for the shooting. When the shooting comes, Edwin comes into the gym with Flake, and while Flake rapidly shoots his classmates, Edwin relents, and Flake is killed by the police.

The ending shows flashback of Edwin and his family at the previously mentioned lake, helping a fellow boat come to shore. Edwin mentions how he felt like the kid's dad, saying, "Good for you, kid. Good for you."

And Then I Go made its worldwide premiere at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival.[4]

The film was picked up for distribution by The Orchard, and was released theatrically as well as on VOD and Digital HD on April 17, 2018.[5]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91%, based on 11 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 77.[6]

The film has received almost unanimous critical acclaim with Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter calling it, "A powerful portrait of teen alienation." Further stating, "A disturbing drama of teen disaffection, Vincent Grashaw's feature provides an essential and insightful perspective that will resonate with audiences attuned to the challenges of adolescence."[7]

Forbes goes on to call the film "an uncommonly poignant treatment of adolescence, darker but not entirely dissimilar from Richard Linklater's 2014 masterpiece, Boyhood, irrespective of where this particular story leads." Further stating, "And Then I Go is less a film about school shootings than one about the crushingly real struggles of youth, struggles that adults quickly forget or make light of, which often just exacerbates the problem. That such difficulties can lead, increasingly, to equally real tragic ends should give any parent or educator pause. We may not be able to stop school shootings once and for all, but recognizing that each one is unique, and likely the product of something far more commonplace than mental illness, might be a place to start."[8]

Entertainment Weekly garnered the film a 'B+' rating and listed as a 'Must See'. Leah Greenblatt commenting, "What Grashaw does remarkably well, in the movie's harrowing final minutes, is put us entirely inside Edwin's head; not as a sociopath or a killer, just a boy in a world of pain."[9]

In Michael Nordine's positive IndieWire review of the film declares, "We need to talk about this disturbing coming-of-age drama." calling it, "an intimate, sympathetic character study."[10]

Bob Strauss of the Los Angeles Daily News stated the film is "a deep, lived-in study of bullied middle school kids who plan to solve their problems in the worst possible way."[11]

Reel News Daily claims, "'And Then I Go' will haunt every parent in America."[12]

We Live Entertainment begins its review with, "'And Then I Go' is one of the most uncomfortably realistic films I've ever seen, which is also one of my highest compliments."[13]

Christopher Llewellyn Reed of Film Festival Today gave the film a score of 4 out of 4 stars, stating, "Beautiful and haunting, 'And Then I Go' is a vital work of art, and a must-see movie for our time."[14]

Moveable Fest's review states the film, "Powerfully Opens Up a Conversation on School Violence."[15]

Hollywood News stated that the film, "promises to stay with you long after the credits role."[16]

CNN stated, "'And Then I Go' pulls back the curtain on school shootings in America", calling it, "a powerful film."[17]

• And Then I Go at IMDb
• And Then I Go at Rotten Tomatoes
• And Then I Go trailer