Brendan Frye is a sharp, self-assured high school student who prefers to stay out of other people's business. One day his ex-girlfriend Emily calls him in a panic, mentioning cryptic words such as "brick", "pin" and "tug" before hanging up. The next morning her body is found in a remote spot. Still carrying feelings for her, Brendan decides to find out what happened, even though it means moving reluctantly through the wealthy social circles Emily once belonged to. With the help of his only friend, The Brain, he begins to suspect that a mysterious figure called The Pin may be involved, in a world shaped by drug trafficking where the investigation grows steadily more dangerous. The film is set in a Californian suburb and borrows the conventions of classic hardboiled fiction.

How it was made

The project grew out of Rian Johnson's fascination with Dashiell Hammett's novels, especially Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon. Johnson had discovered Hammett through an interview with the Coen brothers about Miller's Crossing. He wanted to make an American detective story but felt that a straightforward imitation of the genre would not be worthwhile, so he moved the plot into a high school. He wrote the first draft in 1997, shortly after graduating from USC, and spent years pitching it without success, since the material seemed too unusual for a first-time director. He eventually raised about $450,000 with backing from friends and family, and shooting began in 2003. The film was shot in 20 days, preceded by extensive script refinement and three months of rehearsals with the cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whom Johnson had seen in Manic.

Reception and legacy

Brick won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews, although its commercial release was modest. It has since come to be regarded as a cult classic and an early example of teen-set neo-noir. Its blend of hardboiled dialogue and high school characters made it a reference point for filmmakers interested in reworking classic genres with new voices.