XOXO (2016)

XOXO is the kind of movie that doesn’t just show you a music festival—it drops you into its neon pulse, where basslines feel like weather and every glance carries the possibility of a new life. Christopher Louie shoots the rave scene with a glossy, kinetic confidence, letting the night’s momentum sweep six intertwined strangers forward in a swirl of romance, nerves, and second chances, with Sarah Hyland and Hayley Kiyoko bringing an easy sincerity amid the strobe-lit chaos. It’s not pretending to reinvent the wheel—the story can be familiar—but the pleasures are in the ride: the rhythms, the atmosphere, and that specific, electric feeling of being young enough to believe one night can change everything. Fair warning, it’s TV-MA and leans hard into partying—strong language and frequent drug use are part of the fabric—so if that’s a dealbreaker, skip it, but if you want a vibrant, high-energy mood piece, it delivers.

XOXO is clearly trying to bottle that one-night, festival-fueled rush where romance sparks, dreams feel possible, and EDM becomes a kind of religion. The problem is it plays like a glossy montage stretched into a movie: predictable beats, thin characters, and a starry-eyed view of the scene that rarely says anything interesting about it. If you want a grounded drama or a sharp, specific take on nightlife culture, this will likely feel simplistic and a bit manufactured. But if you’re mainly here for the vibes, attractive people making messy choices, and a soundtrack-driven fantasy of how magical one night can be, it delivers that—just don’t expect much depth, and note it’s heavy on drugs, partying, and very strong language.