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The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries

Drama · Crime · 1995

A high school basketball player’s life turns upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.

Movie details

The Basketball Diaries

“The true story of the death of innocence and the birth of an artist.”

1995 Drama · Crime 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

A high school basketball player’s life turns upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Basketball Diaries?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Once Upon a Time in America

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Bully

Bully

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A group of teenagers in South Florida enact a murder plot against their mutual bully, Bobby, who has emotionally, physically, and sexually abused them for years.

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Heaven Knows What

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My Friend Dahmer

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Jeffrey Dahmer struggles with a difficult family life as a young boy. During his teenage years he slowly transforms, edging closer to the serial killer he was to become.

Trainspotting

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Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends --Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind as Begbie and Sick Boy come knocking.

Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream

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Less Than Zero

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Scott Kalvert

Written by

Bryan Goluboff

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jim Carroll

Bruno Kirby

Bruno Kirby

Swifty

Lorraine Bracco

Lorraine Bracco

Jim's Mother

Ernie Hudson

Ernie Hudson

Reggie

Patrick McGaw

Patrick McGaw

Neutron

James Madio

James Madio

Pedro

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg

Mickey

Court is in session

Put The Basketball Diaries on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.