First-time filmmaker Eugene Kim realizes a wholly contemporary teen slacker drama that rings true even as it treads in bittersweet romance. Skateboarder Kohl seems to be headed for a life of second-bests when he meets Sarah, an honors student bound for college?just what her traditional Asian-American parents hope for. The two are opposites in every way, but their youthful, innocent romance brings a level of joy to Kohl’s life he never expected to find. Sadly, circumstances bring him to a crossroads that have only one sorrowful destination. Kim plays off the impossibility of Kohl and Sarah’s romance and the gritty reality of the central characters’ lives with a vibrant aesthetic that belies the acid truths of the film’s themes. Kohl’s vividly drawn misfit friends lend the film an underlying layer of authenticity that ultimately makes Kim’s tale of personal growth that much more resonant. [Liquor Store Cactus] is a delicately beautiful film that heralds the emergence of a vibrant new talent.