I have until next Thursday to (a) become successful and (b) die, in order to become a member of the 27 Club. It’s strange to be turning 28. I feel like I’m just getting comfortable with the idea of being 24. I suppose everyone feels the same, every age happens before you’re ready. I think, with the possible exception of turning 18, every age is either met with apathy or dread.

I try not to think too deeply about my age these days. I know that I’m on my own journey and my own path and I’ll get to where I’m going eventually. All I can do is work hard and try not to be a dickhead. I think excessive life pondering is bad for the brain. I think a lot of men get caught up in it. A lot of men have notions about what makes a man a man and the nature of masculinity. That’s how men get caught up in Joe Rogan podcasts and then suddenly they’re either obsessed with conspiracy theories or they’re into the alt right.

There’s a lot of pseudo intellectualism in the masculinity pondering that goes on and Fight Club has a strange place in all of that. From watching it, it’s hard to tell if it’s an example of the nonsense or a criticism of it. It’s hard to tell if this is a warning about angry men or if this is a film for angry men. I think the grey area of that is what is dangerous about a film like this. It can become a cult film for both sides and in that way it’s hard to decide on where it ranks for me. It’s either a critique on masculinity-pondering arseholes or it’s some masculinity-pondering arseholes critiquing society.

In terms of the cast there’s some good roles in there. Ed Norton is his usual solid self. Brad Pitt is probably part of the reason the film works. His Tyler Durden probably works so well because he is exactly the type of character that teenage boys love. He has some good fashion choices and I wonder, if Fight Club had been made today, would the guys in college with me, who bought and wore the Drive jacket, have tried to rock the red leather jacket?

And then there’s Helena Bonham Carter as Marla. This is the bit that I haven’t really heard dealt with. Audiences love these films with tortured male protagonists. Without getting too deep into it or ruining it for anyone, Marla gets a rough deal here. She gets treated like shit. It’s probably telling, that in a film that appeals to so many men, the female character puts up with so much abuse.

There we go. I like the film but there’s a whole series of school essays to be written about the levels of bullshit going on. That’s the end of the hot takes from me.