This movie has some of the worst writing I've ever seen. This cautionary tale story structure is relatively common and can make for some great books and films. Other times, it can become comical when it's too unrealistic. In the case of Teenage Cocktail, it fails in a totally unique and bizarre way.
When the girls take the drastic action of prostituting themselves for the money to flee to New York, that could be used as the ultimate negative outcome (and it was in Requiem for a Dream). Although Annie is initially reluctant neither of the girls is majorly bothered by selling themselves to this stranger. They seem to shrug it off. The writers instead opt to create an impactful climax by having the girls inexplicably try to ruin the man's life by sending photos to his wife.
This creates a bizarre situation in which the writers were so far off the mark that the antagonist becomes more sympathetic than the protagonists. When the girls are fleeing across the country because people are finding out about their sex work, how can I possibly empathize with them for then inflicting the exact same thing on someone else? This unintentional moral flip left me feeling no investment in what were supposed to be the most intense moments of the film.
When the girls take the drastic action of prostituting themselves for the money to flee to New York, that could be used as the ultimate negative outcome (and it was in Requiem for a Dream). Although Annie is initially reluctant neither of the girls is majorly bothered by selling themselves to this stranger. They seem to shrug it off. The writers instead opt to create an impactful climax by having the girls inexplicably try to ruin the man's life by sending photos to his wife.
This creates a bizarre situation in which the writers were so far off the mark that the antagonist becomes more sympathetic than the protagonists. When the girls are fleeing across the country because people are finding out about their sex work, how can I possibly empathize with them for then inflicting the exact same thing on someone else? This unintentional moral flip left me feeling no investment in what were supposed to be the most intense moments of the film.