The film follows Mara and Juno as they try to save their favorite punk bar, The Rusty Needle, only to discover that the real enemy isn’t a villain; it’s apathy. Their fight becomes a funny reminder of what it means to care loudly in a world that is too comfortable being quiet.
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Review by Victoria Angelique:
The short film, Louder than Later is a comedic narrative that shows how far two people will go to save their hangout through relentless optimism that everything they do will work. The narrative follows Mara and Juno as they lobby the public to save “The Rusty Needle,” from closing due to increasing rent prices. The story subverts the traditional annoying activist tropes by making likable characters that the audience can root for and hope they save their bar. The girls become so focused on saving “The Rusty Needle” that they never stop to ask what it was sold too or what it will become, as they become hyper-focused on their activism.
Many films about saving a hangout become clichéd or annoying, but Mara and Juno’s personalities make this one worth watching. They decide to save the bar by themselves without employing outside help, are passionate in the anti-capitalism beliefs without realizing they are fighting for a capitalist enterprise and laugh that they screamed aggressively at people while handing out flyers. Mara and Juno are young idealists that are torn between their activism and how to approach the community to save The Rusty Needle.
The film shows the contrast between the young ladies fighting to save the bar, ignoring the other patron that sits quietly while sipping his beer. He simply wants a place to sit that keeps away from his home and looks for an alternative with the bartender. Mara and Juno are the polar opposites as they show the difference between being young idealists versus an older opportunist that is willing to listen to the bartender about other ideas for a punk establishment.
Through sharp comedic timing, Louder than Later moves swiftly from anti-capitalist activism to a reality where the Mara and Juno compromise to invest with the older opportunist, which makes them become the capitalists they thought they hated.
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