MOVIE · 1987

Less Than Zero

CrimeDramaRomance98 min

Home from college for Christmas, Clay returns to Los Angeles at his ex-girlfriend’s request and finds the friends he left behind caught up in a wealthy, drug-soaked scene. Andrew McCarthy is Clay, trying to reconnect with Blair (Jami Gertz) while confronting what’s happened to his former best friend, Julian. Robert Downey Jr.’s Julian drifts through clubs, parties, and empty luxury with an escalating cocaine habit that hangs over every reunion. Framed by 1980s L.A. privilege and hedonism, the film centers on a circle of young people whose money and freedom do little to shield them from addiction and damage.