Brick

Loner-by-choice Brendan (Gordon-Levitt), is an outsider in a high school full of outsiders, living on the edges of the schools cliques. When he finds his ex-girlfriend (de Ravin) face down in a pool of blood, he's forced into some makeshift detective work, talking to those in the know and ruffling some feathers. All threads seem to lead to The Pin (Hass), a drug dealer thought to be an urban myth. First-time writer/director Rian Johnston has done a remarkable thing with such a minuscule budget; creating an entire universe that appears to as self-contained as the world around it. Through innovative writing, and subtle but overtly stylish direction, he has crafted a hugely original detective story with the classic anti-hero in Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who holds the sometimes confusing multi-layered plot together with a commanding and charismatic-lead performance. Brendan is an outsider, but he is no geek, and Gordon-Levitt strikes that balance perfectly. Flipping your perception of what a high school drama should be, by also being a film-noir murder/mystery, it will pose questions before answering them, leaving the audience to work things out with Brendan. Although maybe a little emotionally cold and confusing for some (the ending in particular will have you re-watching scenes in your head) Brick is well worth a rental at the very least.