All That Glitters film poster
Milwaukee filmmaker Noah Meister’s long awaited All That Glitters emerges for online streaming this Saturday as an engrossing feature-length on adolescence, morality, and the hidden dangers that often lurk behind our normal lives. Drawing inspiration from 1980s coming-of-age and crime dramas such as Risky Business and Blue Velvet, Meister’s passion project showcases itself as both a tribute and a reinvention of the genre.
Peeling Back the Facade, Chaos and Order
At its focal point, All That Glitters encapsulates themes of stability vs disorder by unraveling the moral ambiguities of human behavior, particularly in the unpredictable and unruly scene of high school. Meister’s exploration of substance abuse and its ripple effects within the parameters of a seemingly “ordinary” community speaks to the timeless tension between appearances and reality. The film places us in a very specific setting: the world of teenage turmoil. It’s a place where tensions and temptations are high, dreams are either discovered or dissolved, and the pursuit of identity clashes with societal expectations of all that is around us.
“I’ve been wanting to tackle the subject matter of teenage substance abuse ever since I had graduated high school,” filmmaker Noah Meister says. “During my junior year of high school, I was facing a lot of stress in my personal life and, like the main character Chris, I was having trouble concentrating in school and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that my life was heading nowhere extraordinary. I did not have the courage to face these problems head on, so the escapism that drug culture offered was very appealing to me at that time in my life.”
The film subtly examines the fragility of human connections and the pervasive shadow of substance dependency. The characters struggle with what they want to do and what is expected of them, all while being confronted with a situation they cannot fully control. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is captured through the jump between self-discovery and existential dread, a tender yet tumultuous exposition for the viewers to relate and, hopefully, sympathize with.
When asked why he felt it was important to challenge the “good vs. bad” dichotomy that is often seen in coming-of-age stories, Meister pointed out that he thinks that “people rarely if ever fit into the buckets of “good guy” or “bad guy.” They are victims of circumstance, our conditions we are brought up in dictate a lot of who we are, who we hang out with, what actions we take. It can be easy to cast negative judgement when it comes to issues like substance abuse, but I wanted this movie to resist that.”
By eschewing simple categorizations of “good” and “bad,” the film underscores the complexity of its protagonists, encouraging viewers to see the humanity in their flaws. “This culture was made up of kids from all different backgrounds,” Meister continues. “Rich, poor, A student, F student. It was not just the comedy relief characters that you see on TV. I wanted to take those thoughts and feelings from that time in my life and convey them in some way, I just didn’t know how, or what to say, for a time.”
It is imperative then, to take another look at the film’s title after the credits roll, as it epitomizes the theme of substance abuse with an emotional resonance, serving as a reminder that beneath the glory and shine of suburban life lies a world of secrets, struggles, and survival. “If you look at the beginning and end of the movie, it’s bookended by Chris’ drab school experience,” Mesister further explains. “Once we really get into the movie, things become more colorful, the characters become more strange, it’s intriguing and beautiful, but also has consequences as Chris learns.”
Crafting Atmosphere, A Visual Tapestry
All That Glitters was filmed during the summer of 2022 with a dedicated team of UW-Milwaukee film alumni. The locations shown in the film play a crucial role in painting a unique visual atmosphere. From Milwaukee’s east side to Meister’s parents’ home in Madison, the locations lend a form of authenticity to the screen by stringing the narrative with notes of intimacy and remoteness.
Filming of ‘All That Glitters’
Filming of ‘All That Glitters’
Meister’s juxtaposed choice of including personal and public settings weigh heavy here, offering a deep, cinematic portrait—symbols and motifs the viewers can nit-pick at while providing the audience with their own lens that allow them to witness the characters’ inner and outer struggles. The contrast of intimate, close-knit settings with broader, atmospheric shots create modes of connection and isolation. There are long shots of empty school hallways and sterile classrooms with bright lighting, an overwhelming and never-ending search for identity and belonging for modern youths. Extended car drives around the city, to consider and contemplate along with the characters, and the small, colorful spaces of late-night house parties showcasing the adolescence struggle with temptation and allure. The shots are zoomed in and out with intent, panning from angle to angle, scene to scene. A deliberate cue to the viewers that’s shouting hey, look at me, and think about what I mean!
The way spaces are depicted through the camera are also important. Tight, claustrophobic framing pulls the viewers into the protagonist’s inner mind, while wide-angle shots of school buildings and sprawling suburban homes evoke a strange, yet familiar, sense of isolation of Midwestern America. The use of lighting plays a pivotal role to convey the themes of the film too. Sterile classrooms cast harsh, fluorescent tones to highlight academic pressures, while softer, ethereal hues drench moments of vulnerability between characters. There is the raw, purple-lit, chaotic energy of illegal congregations, the shadowy dark hues of long evening drives, and the warm, inviting glow of daylight sequences etched in between shots.
Authenticity at the Forefront, The Heartbeat of the Narrative
The performances in All That Glitters appear incredibly natural. Each character is rendered with depth, embodying Meister’s commitment to showing the multifaceted nature of human behavior. Due to the cast’s loyalty to accurately portraying a growing side of them in every scene, the dialogue feels unfiltered, embodying the raw essence of teenage communication—it isn't something that runs smoothly, it is awkward, poignant, and often charged with unpredictability, a rapport laced with unspoken upon unspoken emotion.
The film’s dialogue brims with sentiment, alternating between witty banter, brutal confrontations, and heartfelt connections. And the cast delivers. Jack Welshon’s Christopher hones-in on the fragility of youth with a haunting precision, while the supporting cast enriches the narrative with their flawed yet relatable personas. Chris' naivety and charm is unparalleled, it shines through his innocent voice and awkward gestures throughout the film. Mack’s (Monterio Caldwell) assertive but boyish nature implements itself with his search for justice, and Dominic’s (Aaron Harris) dark and domineering disposition is exhibited through his silences, outbursts, and harsh gazes.
There are moments of uneasiness and vulnerability that feel uncomfortably real, drawing the viewer deeper into the story. It makes one question whether change and growth needs an element of discomfort for it to take force, and essentially asks us why that is.
A Labor of Love, A Rhythm of Realism
The film spent two years in post-production, with the team taking it one step at a time. Breakthroughs were celebrated, challenges were overcome. The final product demonstrated a dedication to crafting a cohesive and compelling vision. According to Meister, it was a group effort for everyone involved. “This was a passion project for everyone on the post-production team, everyone worked different jobs and had different schedules, and post-production is just really time intensive … The production team had a hard sprint, post-production was a marathon.”
When asked how the lengthy editing process allowed him and his crew to refine the story and its visual elements, Meister conveyed that he and his editor dwelled in their shared artistic space for quite some time. “Caleb and I were able to just sit with the edit at multiple points in the process and really think about how it worked. The one real benefit from doing a project like this where we didn’t answer to anyone, and we were the only ones pushing ourselves forward, was we had time. There were multiple points in the edit I was concerned about because something wasn’t cutting together like I had thought it would, and after a few days of Caleb sitting with it he would pull out really creative solutions. Some of my favorite parts of the movie [creating process].”
The work that went into creating this passion project of Meister’s was intense—he shot the film in just three weeks, with a crew made up of mostly UW-Milwaukee alumni at the forefront of the whole production. The schedule was tight, but souls were alight with visions. “[The] collaboration WAS the production. My friends from UW-Milwaukee pulled hard for this movie…It was like a summer camp. We got up, ate breakfast, shot for 12 hours, went to bed, rinse and repeat the next day.” Despite the harmonious nature of the production, naturally, Meister was also faced with a few challenges throughout the film’s creation, such as racing against the clock to shoot certain scenes before a day’s inevitable end, prioritizing certain filming locations and schedules during the week, technical difficulties between the actors and sound teams, and the veryhuman issue of exhaustion that prevailed the cast and crew during late night shoots. “Having the people you trust and care about with you during the tough parts of the shoot really makes all the difference.”
The film’s trajectory mirrors the volatility of its themes. The narrative alternates between frenetic, high-stakes moments and contemplative lulls, allowing viewers to absorb the emotional weight of the story. Built-up momentum bursts out in fast sequences, stitched together with the shorter, quieter—yet insightful—moments of rumination. It is evident that the overall pacing reflects the protagonist’s shifting psyche: there is a deliberate tempo to Chris’ mental state which ebbs and flows throughout each scene, creating areas of tension, pockets of quiet rumination, and moments of built-up suspense. Intense dialogue (such as conversations between Dominac and Sarah), awkward exchanges (Chris and Mac’s first verbal interaction) and sudden plot progressions (altercation at the house party), are punctuated by lingering silences (Chris contemplating in his bedroom), allowing the weight of unspoken words to sink in. While some moments teeter, whether intentional or not, the overall rhythm creates a powerful reflection of teenage life—erratic in its wake, yet strangely poetic in all its meaning. In spite of its constant woes and joys, it is a natural way of being, an inherent mode of existence, and there is something almost heartwarming about that fact.
A Cautionary Tale, A Mirror to Our Own
Meister creatively unpacks the truths of substance abuse in a coming-of-age story, showing how addictions can run rampant underneath a perfectly normal-seeming high school, but more importantly, how it can affect students' lives differently. His message is reminiscent of other films in the genre, particularly the works of John Hughes. “For me, when I think of “coming of age” type movies, I think of John Hughes,” he points out. “I think of the archetypes, the relationships, the comedy and the dramatic punches.”
At its heart, All That Glitters is an exposé of the choices that define us, a story of choices, consequences, and the enduring struggle to find one’s place in the world. It asks: what do we lose when we succumb to external pressures? Through its characters’ struggles, the film examines the ripple effects of our actions, the fragility of trust, and the price of redemption. The looming specter of addiction serves as both a plot device and a metaphor for the escapism that defines the modern youth. All that glitters is not always gold, and there are inklings of danger that lurk beneath each and every surface.
Release and Reception: An Artistic Endeavor, A Personal Reflection
Meister wasn't born with a camera in his hand. He spent most of his childhood floating around with dreams, ideas, and passions, but not really knowing what to do with them. Stumbling upon Sam Raimi’s horror film Evil Dead during his middle school days was the ultimate turning point, an epiphanic awakening that set the rest in motion “I was so transfixed with this movie I remember watching on the bonus disc there was a special feature with interviews with Sam and the crew, and they told the story of how it was made,” he remarks. “Kids from a small town in Michigan crowdfunded his first movie by knocking door to door and pitching the idea to local business owners. There was something so inspiring about that idea that you could go out and make something like that, and movies had never felt attainable in that way for me before.”
With film distribution constantly changing, it isn't easy to gauge what works and what doesn’t for getting your work out there and finding it successful. Meister and his team partnered with the distribution company Green Apple Entertainment who took charge in submitting All That Glitters on streaming services to reach a wider audience.
When asked how he felt to finally share All That Glitters with the world after such a long journey, Meister’s enthusiasm definitely spilled through his choice of words: “Equal parts exciting and nerve wracking! A lot of people invested their hard work and time into this project and I hope it delivers and entertains.” If there is anything he wishes people will take away from his first-feature length, it would be the hope that viewers come away with more empathy towards the different circumstances people are brought up in and how it can affect their path in life.
And the directors or films that shaped his approach to this project? The Safdie Brothers, who created Good Time and Uncut Gems, for their naturalistic, fluid approach to storytelling. The iconic John Huges. Paul Brickman’s Risky Business and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Meister points out that he can be “pretty critical” of his own work, but he’s watched All That Glitters enough times to say that he is proud of what he’s accomplished and wouldn’t change a thing. Words to live by.
A Road to Realism?
What’s next for Noah Meister? The creative mind behind All That Glitters is already looking toward the future with an eye on stories grounded in the Midwest. “I’m really into the idea of sticking with the location of Wisconsin/the Midwest and telling stories relatable to here,” he shares. His fascination with the “crimes by non-criminals” genre offers a glimpse into his evolving narrative interests. “I think there’s a lot of flexibility to be lighter, a bit comedic,” he adds, leaving fans eager to see how he continues to balance grounded storytelling with genre experimentation.
For aspiring filmmakers hoping to weave complex narratives like All That Glitters, Meister offers a refreshing perspective: “Don’t think about the story as complex—think about it as the opposite. Keep it simple. What are you really trying to say?” He reflects on his own learning curve, recalling the struggle of relying on convoluted dialogue to explain ideas. His advice? Focus on clarity and character. “When I watch a movie, I want to understand the story and really spend time with well-developed characters," he emphasizes. Drawing from personal experience is another cornerstone of his creative process. “It doesn’t mean your script has to be a documentary, but it’ll feel an awful lot more like you,” Meister concludes. In the end, storytelling feels all the more powerful when sprinkled with a personal touch.
A Must-Watch Indie Gem
With its blend of ‘80s nostalgia and contemporary relevance, All That Glitters is a film that will linger long after the final scene fades and the credits roll in. The film stands as a testament to the strength and resilience that often surrounds the labor of independent filmmaking. The work acts as an introspection, a confrontation with the unpredictable, unfiltered truth of growing up. Its imperfections—much like the lives it depicts—only add to its undeniable charm.
All That Glitters will be available online for streaming to the public 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 through the distribution of Green Apple Entertainment at youtube.com/watch?v=zaXT3vovlF0.
