Over recent years, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has increasingly found himself in more spotlighted projects, particularly in action-heavy roles. His latest project, Kraven the Hunter, sees him play the vengeance-wracked, widely-feared titular hunter. Taylor-Johnson is clearly attracted to characters whose life is on the line. Even his future is mapped out with death and violence, as he joins the star-studded cast of the dark and sinister Nosferatu, and is set to appear in the post-apocalyptic horror, 28 Years Later. But before Taylor-Johnson committed to this blood-stained path, effectively starting with his action-packed breakthrough role in Kick-Ass, he was a teenage heartthrob in an underrated 2008 British rom-com. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging may have taught teenage girls everywhere the proper technique for making out, but it also reveals the precursors to Taylor-Johnson's inherent charm that we still see glimpses of today.
What Is 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging' About?
Image via Paramount Home Entertainment
Georgia (Georgia Groome) is a typical 14-year-old who is certain she will be getting the hottest birthday party of the year (in a club no less) and a dreamy boyfriend, even after accidentally shaving off an eyebrow. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a light-hearted coming-of-age tale that follows Georgia and her three friends as they navigate how their bond evolves while following their "boy-crazy" hobbies and dealing with changes that come with adolescence. The value of friendship and learning to accept yourself is at the forefront of this nostalgic film — and, of course, a swoon-worthy love interest.
When Robbie (Taylor-Johnson) and his brother, Tom (Sean Bourke), arrive in town, Georgia and Jasmine (Eleanor Tomlinson) immediately get their pick; they are the more "emotionally mature" ones after all. This kicks off a series of all-too-relatable shenanigans, including "boy stalking time" and stringently avoiding "washing machine syndrome," while kissing. The film reminds us of the frivolity of adolescence, especially as it fittingly opens up with "She's So Lovely" by Scouting for Girls, sprinkled with hard lessons we have to learn at some point to mature.
Taylor-Johnson Is Relatable in 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'
Image via Paramount Home Entertainment
Taylor-Johnson enters as the mysterious love interest that Georgia pines over from a distance, but Robbie is quickly snatched up by Lindsay, Georgia's tormenter and the most popular girl in school. However, there is an unexpected spark between them whenever they do appear on-screen, drawing us into the prospect of their eventual romance. Much of this is attributed to Groome and Taylor-Johnson's chemistry, as dialogue flows organically between them, reminding us of our own nerve-wracking encounters with our crushes when we were younger.
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Groome's cringy and selfish portrayal of Georgia also sells this relatability — she's the teenager we used to be, albeit not one we want to remember. As she fervently engages in cosmopolitan quizzes and boy/girl theories, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging creates a space we can share a certain familiarity with that makes Robbie all the more attractive. Taylor-Johnson also feeds into this as he toes the line between strikingly unattainable and intimately familiar. As part of a band, he dedicates songs to a special person in the crowd, leaving us starstruck, but we are also privy to his scrunched-up air guitar face, or his kicked puppy-dog one when he is confronted by his emotions. He effortlessly constructs a genuine persona that makes us fawn over his dreaminess alongside Georgia.
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is the perfect film to watch if you want to see the roots of Taylor-Johnson's charming allure. It uncovers a more giddy side to his performances, as he exudes a boyish charm as Robbie, wide-eyed and still prone to superfluous romantic mistakes. Yet, as one of the older characters in the film, there is a strange combination of emotional maturity and empathy — but only enough for naive teenage girls to swoon over. These qualities are more refined in his later films, as his acting chops and roles also naturally mature with time.
His experience as a romantic lead is more directly translated to his role as the bewitching Count Alexei Vronsky in Anna Karenina, though his charm evolves into something more shrewd, especially with the complexity of emotions his character has to confront. We can still see traces of Robbie's mischievous youth under the jaded sarcasm of Tangerine in Bullet Train, or the effortless cheekiness lurking beneath the malicious gleam in Kraven's eyes. As this came just a few years before Kick-Ass, you can see remnants of Robbie in Johnson's earnest vigilante, except this time he's the nervous geek who lusts after his beautiful classmate (while also trying to save the world).
But most of all, it is Taylor-Johnson's signature smirk that draws us in amid all his characters' flaws and penchants for violence. With humble beginnings in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, this enticing smirk has been practiced over the years, and it would be a crime to not revisit its origins.
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is available to rent on Apple TV in the U.S.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Image via Paramount Home Entertainment 
Image via Paramount Home Entertainment 
English (US) ·