Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2012

A moderately successful ghostwriter of YA books returns to her dull hometown convinced that she can recapture the heart of her now-married high-school sweetheart of 20 years earlier. She’s a boozer, shallow, narcissistic, and not a little psychotic. Charlize Theron is flawless in this nuanced, negative character study of an aging prom queen (remember Monster?), and comic Patton Oswalt excels in a supporting role. While the film fails to recreate the edge and the humor that made director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody’s Juno so watchable (though it tries), it’s well worth your time.