There's something rather endearing about Sam Plommer as Sam, a young gay male who knows that he isn't where he should be in life yet is pretty hard-pressed to do anything about it in the recently completed indie comedy Plastic Boy. Written and directed by Plommer and the latest indie feature project to be shot using an iPhone, Plastic Boy is a low-key comedy with equal parts heart and humor that come to life in telling the story of Sam, whose move to London with best friend Zoe (Sofie Bland) has led to her success and his being stuck in a dead-end job working for a boss, Alice (Victoria Muldoon), with not much tolerance for Sam's apathetic ways and wayward work habits. Sam spends his days trying to get the attention of a fellow work-mate (Ross McNamara) who seems wary of his lacking motivation and waiting for his almost ex-boyfriend (Sam Toller) to text him back. 

While Plastic Boy sounds like yet another indie comedy journey through another unmotivated slacker's life, Plastic Boy largely rises above its formulaic roots thanks to Plommer's emotionally available yet humorous turn as Sam and a genuine chemistry between Plommer and Sofie Bland as Zoe that turns the film into the kind of flick that grabs your attention and keeps you invested in these characters from beginning to end. Bland is an absolute wonder here and gives the kind of performance that instantly had me looking up her IMDB page to check out her other work. 

The film's ensemble cast is uniformly strong, from Ross McNamara's healthy enough to stay away turn as Lawrence to Victoria Muldoon's under-utilized yet entertaining effort as Alice. Sam Toller also serves up an effective performance as Max, while other bit players are also perfectly cast throughout the film. 

While a low-budget indie is nearly always going to have some tech issues along the way, most notably here being the sound mix, Plastic Boy is such a good-hearted, occasionally naughty film that you spend more time enjoying the characters and less time worrying about any production concerns. 

The film also features terrific music from Marlaena Moore and Those Dancing Days, both artists playing perfectly into the film's chilled, earthy vibe. 

Plastic Boy is the kind of film you enjoy finding along the indie circuit, a quiet little gem with a little bit of a lesson and a whole lot of laughs along the way. For more information on the film, visit its Facebook page linked to in the credits. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic