An Independent Film Review: 'All is Fine in '89' (2025)

All is Fine in ’89 is a dark comedy that follows a group of students and their teachers at Romano High as they await their last ever field party before graduating. The students are full of hope and optimism as they enter a night they expect to change their lives forever but not in the way they expect. 

Directed and written by Matthew Lupis, this is an independent feature that showcases the ever growing potential of indie filmmakers. All is Fine in ’89 is a charming story filled with heavy, emotional themes throughout. The characters within this story battle through the trials and tribulations of high school and understanding your identity. All is Fine in ’89 explores themes of sexual identity, prejudice, abuse, homophobia and teen pregnancy. Each character and their journey packs a punch when it comes to intense, intimate storytelling.

The aesthetic of this film screams the 1980’s, from the costumes, set design and dialogue everything feels authentic to the time period and this impressed me above all else. The commitment to the films mood and atmosphere only enhanced the story and brought me further into its world. 

The high school setting lends well to a suspenseful storyline, everyone is a suspect and every character had their own journey to follow. I loved the use of typical tropes from high school movies, it felt familiar but in an effective way. Utilising the stereotypes of character like ‘the jock’ or ‘the bully’ helped with the overall aesthetic and vibe of the feature, whilst adding complexities and comedy. 

The feature was dark but it also had plenty of light hearted, witty moments. The plot had something looming in the backdrop and I found this element of suspense to be really interesting, I would describe this film as a love letter to John Hughes but it also reminded me aesthetically of Stranger Things and conceptually of Netflix’s Fear Street. The story seems fun and lighthearted but something unexpected is about to be unleashed, from bullies to affairs this movie has drama and suspense pouring out of it. 

Some of the cast include, Dylan Hawco, Shelby Handley, Dani Romero, Adam Lupis, Tom Keat who all brought authentic performances to screen, especially when tackling some of the most intense moments. It felt as though every character was working through a personal struggle with the light at the end of the tunnel being the field party - but alas, their happily ever after isn’t quite that easy. 

Thank you to the production team for sharing this memorable independent feature with Film Probe, overall I found the film to be enticing and entertaining. As a whole the feature was well executed and delivered in plenty of suspense and thrill. The cast were all believable and helped solidify the intense storyline and plot moments. All is Fine in ’89 (2025) is definitely a film to keep an eye on. 

Probe Points

★★★☆☆