You are here:

High Road

Name: High Road
Director: Matt Walsh
Released: 2012
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

2012

Director

Matt Walsh

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

High Road is a character-driven comedy that emphasizes situational humor and chaotic personal journeys. It focuses on the personal struggles of the main character rather than challenging social norms. While the film avoids harmful stereotypes, it does not intentionally aim for diverse representation.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does High Road have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories that question the idea that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does High Road portray gender?

Fair

The movie focuses mainly on male friendships and experiences, with most of the humor coming from male interactions. Monica, a key character, still doesn't play a central role in driving the story.

How racially and ethnically diverse is High Road?

Limited

The cast features actors of different races, including James Pumphrey in a prominent role. However, the story centers around a small, mostly white social circle.

How does High Road represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film explores themes of drug dealing and personal dysfunction through improvisational comedy. It focuses more on individual chaos than on critiquing Western institutions or capitalism.

Does High Road include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the film. The story does not use disability as a narrative device.

Present on Screen

James Pumphrey plays the lead role, adding racial diversity to the cast.
The film avoids using harmful stereotypes in its characterizations.

Limited or Absent

The story is heavily focused on male friendships and experiences.
There is no representation of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.
The film lacks LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that address heteronormativity.

Official Synopsis

Directed by Matt Walsh, a co-founding member of world-renowned comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, High Road showcases a totally improvised script about Glenn “Fitz” Fitzgerald (James Pumphrey), a young man whose loyalties are split among his band, his girlfriend Monica(Abby Elliottt) and selling drugs. After his band breaks up, Fitz finds himself dealing drugs out of his garage and bonding with 16-year-old neighborhood kid Jimmy (Dylan O’Brien). As his former band mates (Zach Woods, Matt L. Jones, Lizzy Caplan) begin finding success and one of his drug deals goes awry, Fitz hits the road with Jimmy. Amid car chases, guns, broken bones, sassy cabbies and a suspicious doctor (Horatio Sanz), Fitz has to navigate their way to safe harbor--and he doesn’t even know about the surprise Monica has in store for him back home!

How are these scores produced? →