Crystal Moselle, who made a name for herself as a documentarian with the 2015 hit The Wolfpack, takes inspiration from Larry Clark’s career in her narrative feature debut Skate Kitchen. It’s a seamless transition for Moselle who is experimenting (and subtlety infiltrating) with documentary aesthetics to tell a scripted story about a young woman who is trying to gain acceptance while searching for independence.
Upon returning from his service in war-torn Afghanistan, US Marine Nelson Sanchez (co-writer Victor Almanzar) is reminded of his past when a wayward friend alerts him of an incoming threat. A thug by the name of Nicky Quinn (Mike Carlsen) has been mulling over the death of his brother ever since Nelson – in desperate measures – killed him point blank. Quinn’s buddies stake out Nelson’s hometown and all the exits are blocked – the…