Director Jennifer Venditti was scouting a Maine high school for extras, when she met the misunderstood and intellectually fascinating subject of her new documentary, Billy the Kid. Endlessly picked on by bullies and discredited by his own teachers, fifteen-year-old rat-tailed Billy has emotional problems and few friends. But he's had a lot of time to ponder life, and dispenses some surprisingly deep thoughts for a fifteen-year-old: "I'm not black, I'm not white, not foreign, just different in the mind. Different brains, that's all."
Living with his mom and younger sibling in a trailer, he finds solace in heavy metal, martial arts and horror movies. The camera crew follows Billy, as he awkwardly attempts to make friends by talking endlessly about serial killers and gory scenes in horror films. Halfway through the documentary, Billy becomes interested in Heather, a sixteen-year-old waitress, and this is where he induces Curb Your Enthusiasm levels of discomfort. After having met her briefly, he proclaims he's in love. Still, after the initial blushing and turning away, the wooing is almost endearing.
Billy the Kid is a higher grade of filmmaking than an episode of MTV's True Life. It explores Billy's relationship with his mother and others with real insight. Watching him court Heather, it's easy to recall one's own romantic mishaps, or moments sitting in a cafeteria, feeling like a whole tableful of people were staring and laughing at you. As embarrassing as it is to reflect upon those memories and watch them played onscreen, it's a trip worth taking. — Liz Nadybal