The Dirties

Two high school friends in a tense urban world decide to turn their grievance about bullies into a movie. Matt, the careful planner, teams with Owen, the impulsive foil, to shoot a revenge fantasy with their small crew. What starts as a private experiment quickly swells into a public spectacle as scenes of confrontation and improvised drama accumulate. The boundary between what they film and what happens in real life begins to blur, and the crew’s humor gives way to real fear. The documentary style captures the claustrophobic energy of their social scene while the pair wrestles with how far storytelling should go and who gets to tell the story.

Directed by Matt Johnson, The Dirties is an original screenplay shot on a shoestring budget. Principal cast includes Johnson as Matt with Evan Morgan, Josh Boles, and Matthew Miller shaping the production.

Critics responded to its blunt realism and inventive found footage approach, praising the way it probes violence, friendship, and the ethics of making a revenge fantasy. The film treats its protagonist with rough honesty, avoiding easy answers while staying provocatively unsettled.

The Dirties earned attention in indie circuits for its raw energy and self reflective style, and its DIY spirit resonated with other filmmakers working on limited budgets. It’s often cited as a example of how a strong concept can carry a film with few resources.