Dripping with irony and full of Donnie Darko vibes, Thumbsucker at first seems to be just another Sundance-spawned exercise in suburban teen alienation, but then the movie opens up to consider the adults in its central high-schooler’s life. The title teen
(Lou Pucci) suffers from typical adolescent angst, yet Thumbsucker also considers how that
angst affects his parents (Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio). Caring but fumbling – like most parents – both actors are excellent. Donnie Darko garnered a cult following among disaffected youth; maybe Thumbsucker can find one at parent-teacher conferences.
