Banana Split

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Benjamin Kasulke directs. Darin Moran behind the camera. Annie Hart scores. Brendan Walsh cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 2Released 8 years ago.
• 3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.
• 4Directed by Benjamin Kasulke, shot by Darin Moran. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Annie Hart. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Brendan Walsh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Hannah Marks and Liana Liberato and Dylan Sprouse carry the top of the cast.
• 8Marketing tagline: "A film about platonic female friendship, period.".
• 9IMDB entry: tt7755856 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Darin Moran

Original score

Annie Hart

Editing

Brendan Walsh

Production design

Almitra Corey

Costume design

Mona May

Makeup / hair

Christina Samuels

Runtime

88 min · 1h 28m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Banana Split (2018) ↗

Also by

Benjamin Kasulke

• 
  Room 104

  2017 · ★ 5.7

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Banana Split | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical Entertainment

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Kamurai2020-07-27
  ★ 6/10

  Good watch, might watch again, and can recommend if you're considering it. The "feel" of the movie reminds me a lot of "Booksmart", but almost more "versus" than "cooperative", if that makes sense to you. I'm a big fan of Hannah Marks, and less so of Liana Liberato, and while the focus is typically on April, it really felt like they should have been cast in each others's roles, and it's not like Liberato can't carry a lead role. The roles just didn't feel intuitive, and the movie does one of those things where I feel like it's trying to tell me who's hotter, and (for me) Hannah Marks makes more sense as the "hot new thing", and she's the stronger personality. But that's probably why she has the lead here. It was also frustrating to watch the characters do "stupid high schoolers with too many options" mistakes over and over, letting such a jerk control any level of validation in their lives, and I suppose that's the point that I'm missing is how to relate to it as a young woman that can't control what her wants are, even if they are bad for her. I have similar stupid things I did when I was younger as a guy, and I think that's what frustrated me. The point in saying any of that is that that "frustration" is what takes this movie from potentially great to a more average viewing experience. While it's a fine movie, with good characters, acting, and writing, it doesn't feel uplifting or hopeful, the "intensity in battle" is social in nature and not what I'm looking for in a movie, but that doesn't mean that others won't like this much more than me.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  American High

  US

• 

  Burn Later Productions

  US

Key crew

• ProducerJeremy Garelick
• ProducerMickey Liddell
• Associate ProducerEddie Micallef
• Executive ProducerRowan Riley
• Executive ProducerHannah Marks
• Production DesignAlmitra Corey
• ProducerWill Phelps
• CastingAmey René
• ProducerSam Slater
• ProducerGlen Trotiner
• Executive ProducerJoey Power
• Art DirectionBryan Wolcik
• Set DecorationMadison Steigerwald
• Key Makeup ArtistChristina Samuels
• Co-ProducerRyan Bennett
• Executive ProducerMichael Glassman
• Costume DesignMona May
• Key Hair StylistJayme Sager
• EditorBrendan Walsh
• Production AccountantPamela Jones
• Script SupervisorBetty Austin
• Casting AssociateMegan Rosenfeld

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• platonic love
• female friendship
• teen movie

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2018-09-22R· Los Angeles Film Festival
• Digital2020-03-27R

Also known as

International titles

• Eskimo SistersUS