Ben (Parry Shen) fits the stereotype of the “smart Asian kid” we all know at school: he gets straight A’s, has a 4.0  GPA, has only AP classes, is on the “Aca Deca” team, plays a sport, participates in extracurriculars, volunteers and has a job.

Yet Better Luck Tomorrow’s Ben realizes that life’s not all about academics and getting into an Ivy League university—he also needs a social life, as difficult as it can be living in the suburbs.

The movie starts out in LA suburbs with Ben and Virgil (Jason Tobin), his school friend, talking and sun bathing on their lawn. Hearing a sudden beep coming from the yard, they crawl—ears to the grass, faces curious and scared—to uncover the source of the noise. They furiously dig into the ground and are shocked by what they find.

After the movie begins, the plot flips back a few months to a more normal and boring Ben. As always, there is a girl and some romance. Ben has a crush on Stephanie (Karen Anna Cheung), an “I’m always right” kind of girl that almost every guy has a crush on. Tough luck! She has a rich boyfriend, Steve, (John Cho, Off Center, American Pie 1 & 2, American Beauty) who lives alone in a mansion, drives expensive cars and motorcycles, and goes to a private school.

Meanwhile, Ben’s sinister side comes out as he strives to be socially popular, befriending three high school peers, Daric (Roger Fan), Han (Sung Kang), and the aformentioned Virgil, together forming a suburban gang.

Ben just goes with the flow of the gang, leading a double life of academic perfection and mischief. Yet Ben, the only one who seems to have a conscience, faces moral dilemmas as his life spins out of control and into a downward spiral of sex, drugs, partying and crime.

Director Justin Lin creates realistic characters reaching out to an audience of teenagers and young adults. These days, everyone is practically surrounded by issues related to sex, drugs, alcohol and crime. Lin leads the audience to witness the extremes a teen could go through when getting caught up in such a destructive life style.

Crushing teen stereotypes and expectations, Better Luck Tomorrow creates a shocking perspective into the life of the suburban, smart kid. The movie is a must see for anyone who still thinks that all is good or bad.