One Direction may raise eyebrows, but thanks to their new movie “One Direction: This is Us” (featuring the ever adorable Niall, Liam, Harry, Zayn, and Louis), I no longer have a gag-reflex response upon hearing their names. Sure, their music is shallow. Sure their floppy hair drives some girls to do maniacal, obsessive things. It may seem silly, but after watching two hours of smoldering smiles, I get it. So now, fully aware that I have submitted to the charming ploys of five calculating boys, I’ve given up up chucking at the sound of “That’s What Makes You Beautiful.” Instead I can only smile a knowing smile and shake my head. Silly, silly One Direction.
By now you’ve gathered I am not a Directioner. I can’t even spell the word. But, unlike most movies, One Direction caters to a specific audience. And since I’ve never found myself in the position to actually take One Direction seriously, I brought along my 9-year-old friend Ruby as a trail guide. Ruby is the epitomy of what a Directioner should be. In our brief before the movie, she listed off the items she had that were One Direction themed, which included One Direction socks, duct tape and a calendar. And yes, when I went to pick her up, she sported a One Direction manicure. Somehow, having her by my side gave me a renewed confidence, and as the movie time drew closer I even felt slight anticipation.
But unfortunately, the movie wasn’t that great. The thing about the One Direction movie is I knew exactly what I was getting myself into because the trailer spoiled everything, and the movie’s repetitive structure got old quickly. We followed the boys as they went on tour, watching them as they basked in the glow of a thousand screaming fans over and over again. For Ruby, this is exactly what she paid $10.35 for. But for me, the movie felt very one-dimensional. It was easy to like this movie because their lives seemed so fun; the biggest problem of the day was what outfit to wear. But I found it hard to accept that five boys becoming adults would want their lives to be so consumed by a shallow pop band.
Regardless of the factuality that this is a so-called documentary, here’s what to take out of this review: this movie really just affirms everyone’s pre-conceived notions about One Direction. If you are a die-hard fan, then the movie will cater to your every fantasy. If you turn your nose up, then you will find more reason to do so after watching this movie. Honestly, I’m glad I used up two hours of my life to go watch this movie. Now One Direction will forever remain in the crevice of my heart, to be indulged only at midnight with the volume turned down really, really low.
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