Egghead & Twinkie is nothing ground breaking, we've seen these characters many times before and seen this story play out with both tragic and happy endings. However, there is something very charming and blissfully idealistic about the two best friends' journey. But this is primarily Twinkie's story, despite the title suggesting otherwise. Wanting to meet the girl she's been talking to online for months, Twinkie convinces her best friend Egghead, who may still harbour feelings for her, to come with her on a last-minute road trip. Along the way truths are shared, feelings are hurt and new friends found. A ‘classic' road trip film for the Gen Z crowd.
With the frequent addition of animated moments, dream sequences, dramatic flashbacks and the inclusion of animated details, such as fireworks, lightning bolts, hearts etc, all used to illustrate the characters' feelings and thoughts, you can't help but think of the TV series Heartstopper which uses similar techniques. Plus, the story itself is about a teenager finally able to embrace her sexuality openly. The comparison doesn't take anything away from Twinkie's story and Egghead's acceptance and eventual support but adds to the collection of more hopeful coming of age and coming out stories.
The story does only scratch the surface of these two best friends' friendship and life together, concentrating on a 4-day trip, but this is always the way with road trip films. Everything is boiled down to a short amount of time, emotions are heightened and there is a sense of be all and end all. But Egghead & Twinkie is a much more relaxed and stripped-down versions of what we've seen before and it's a welcoming a break from the over dramatic stories. However, it might have been more effective to show Twinkie able to enjoy the lesbian dance party, her destination from the start. Seeing her in her element for the first time might have made the confrontation with her online girlfriend feel like a bigger moment rather than the anticlimactic phone call we got instead.
The bond between the leads is fun and engaging. Watching them each make mistakes and find their feet again; we get to understand and appreciate these two characters as the film progresses. Sabrina Jie-A-Fa and Louis Tomeo are a delight and share animated (no pun intended) chemistry on screen. Asahi Hirano as Jess is also a great addition to this road movie, adding literal sunshine (in a particular montage) to the mix. In fact, the scenes Twinkie shares with Jess are beautifully done. The inclusion of Twinkie not really knowing who she is, a running theme, but having been adopted, she doesn't even know her exact Asian heritage so she just accepts what people call her. Though her defiance and ownership of adopting the name Twinkie (originally an insult) isn't deeply explored but touched upon. These precious few scenes are when she seems at her most free and though short, it's an important part of Twinkie's character that needed to be addressed.
Egghead & Twinkie is a fun road trip film that treads lightly on the drama and more on the wholesome content, which is always a welcome watch and break away from the more serious films found in this genre, a breath of fresh air.
Egghead & Twinkle will have its International Premiere at BFI Flare 2023
