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Less Than Zero

"It only looks like the good life."

1987-11-06 Drama 1hr 38m

A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.

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Less Than Zero

Storyline

A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.

  • Released
    1987-11-06
  • Revenue
    $12,396,383
  • Budget
    $8,000,000
  • Runtime
    1hr 38m
  • Genre
    Drama, Crime, Romance
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    Deutsch, English, Español
  • imdb-logo
    6.4
  • Production
    Amercent Films, American Entertainment Partners L.P., 20th Century Fox

Crew

Marek Kanievska
Director
Harley Peyton
Screenplay
Jon Avnet
Producer
Keywords:
based on novel or book self-destruction drug addiction cocaine melancholy los angeles, california hedonism beverly hills decadence coke shocking grim complex gay theme suspenseful complicated disheartening

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Cast

Andrew McCarthy

Andrew McCarthy
Clay
Jami Gertz

Jami Gertz
Blair
Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.
Julian
James Spader

James Spader
Rip
Tony Bill

Tony Bill
Bradford Easton
Nicholas Pryor

Nicholas Pryor
Benjamin Wells
Donna Mitchell

Donna Mitchell
Elaine Easton
Michael Bowen

Michael Bowen
Hop
Sarah Buxton

Sarah Buxton
Markie
Lisanne Falk

Lisanne Falk
Patti
Michael Greene

Michael Greene
Robert Wells
Neith Hunter

Neith Hunter
Alana
Afton Smith

Afton Smith
Kim
Brian Wimmer

Brian Wimmer
Trent
Kelly Wolf

Kelly Wolf
Lile
David Colby

David Colby
Kid #3
Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis
Musician #3
Flea

Flea
Musician #1
Brittain Frye

Brittain Frye
Teenager #2
Jack Irons

Jack Irons
Musician #4
Afrika Islam

Afrika Islam
D. J.
Kris Jorgenson

Kris Jorgenson
Bouncer
Jeannette Kerner

Jeannette Kerner
Margery Easton
Lee Kissinger

Lee Kissinger
Photographer
Moya Kordick

Moya Kordick
Liz
Jayne Modean

Jayne Modean
Cindy
Jude Mussetter

Jude Mussetter
Alice
Jessica Puscas

Jessica Puscas
Little Girl
Jandi Swanson

Jandi Swanson
Jenny
Eric Walker

Eric Walker
Seth Wells
Scott Warner

Scott Warner
Teenager #1
John Yurasek

John Yurasek
Naked Man
Robert Dassanowsky

Robert Dassanowsky
Party Guest (uncredited)
Christopher Maleki

Christopher Maleki
Guy at Party (uncredited)
Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt
Partygoer / Preppie Kid at Fight (uncredited)
Jackie Swanson

Jackie Swanson
Party Girl (uncredited)
Jennifer Wellings

Jennifer Wellings
Tall Gothic Girl at Club (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for Less Than Zero
reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 6

Written by Wuchak on 2018-02-11

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After grad... read more

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After graduation, one goes off to college (Andrew McCarthy), but returns for Christmas break wherein he finds his ex-girlfriend (Jami Gertz) and, especially, his buddy (Robert Downey Jr.) struggling with drug addiction in the Beverly Hills fast lane. James Spader plays a smug high society dealer. This is the furthest thing from typical 80’s youth flicks, like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Karate Kid,” “Valley Girl,” “Footloose” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” (where there’s, admittedly, a lot of range). “Less than Zero” has the epic, artsy style of Francis Ford Coppola films like “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” (both from 1983) meshed with the chic melancholy of “Poison Ivy” (1992). My main issue is that it takes too long to get absorbed into the characters and their story. The filmmaking is gorgeous, however, which is ironic because this is a really downbeat movie. Gertz is fine, but she never did anything for me, while McCarthy is serviceable as the main protagonist, yet rather bland in a goody-goody way. Both Downey Jr. and Spader, however, de-shine in their roles (in a good way). If you favor arty, glum movies you might like this better than me, but it’s nowhere near as effective as “Poison Ivy,” a similar artsy, gloomy flick. The movie runs 1 hour 38 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area, including Malibu. WRITERS: Bret Easton Ellis (novel) and Harley Peyton (screenplay) GRADE: C+

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by Wuchak

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After graduation, one goes off to college (Andrew McCarthy), but returns for Christmas break wherein he finds ...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 6

Written by Wuchak on 2018-02-11

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Marek Kanievska, "Less than Zero" is a drama about a trio of rich 18 year-olds from Los Angeles. After graduation, one goes off to college (Andrew McCarthy), but retur...

read more