Palo Alto is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Gia Coppola, based on James Franco's 2010 short story collection of the same name.

The film stars Franco alongside Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff and Zoe Levin.

It concerns a group of disaffected teenagers in a California suburb dealing with lust, boredom, and self-destruction.

In the Northern California city of Palo Alto, best friends Teddy and Fred are teenage stoners.

April is a shy student who is made fun of by her classmates for still being a virgin, and is also teased by her soccer teammates because of their coach Mr.

Instead of serving any jail time, he is placed on probation and ordered to perform community service at a children's library.

With his head bleeding, Fred asks Teddy to accompany him to buy weed from drug dealer Skull.

During their meetup with Skull, Fred acts increasingly erratic and holds a large chef's knife.

[3] Filming took place throughout November and December 2012 in Southern California, and at the homes of Val Kilmer and Gia Coppola's mother.

The site’s critics consensus states: "A promising debut for director Gia Coppola, Palo Alto compensates for its drifting plot with solid performances and beautiful cinematography.

[12] Ian Freer of Empire gave the film 4 stars out of 5, calling it a "terrific, truthful, portrait of teenage lives, delivered with a naturalness and compassion of which seasoned directors can only dream."

He praised the performances, particularly Emma Roberts', who he said "is the standout, heartbreaking as she suggests longings and anxieties without over-hyping it.

He also lauded Gia Coppola's "eye for cool composition", for posing Roberts against "repetitive, bland, pastel-colored surfaces" until her "pale, luminous beauty pops."