Phil's Siren Song

0/5 ( ratings)

It’s the 80s in Flint, Michigan. The economy is tanking, crime is skyrocketing, and the punk scene is thriving. For Phil McCormick, an unenthusiastic drug dealer and self-proclaimed ladies’ man, the ultimate question of his 20s is found in a Clash song. “Should I stay or should I go?”

Logic says get out. Ann Arbor, where bougie sorority girls and artsy philanthropists are always on the lookout for a bad boy, is calling. But Phil, who’s searching for just the right exit, isn’t quite ready. Like anyone else, he wants to be remembered, and that’s a problem. Drug dealers simply get replaced.

That alone makes it tough for Phil to turn his back on a hometown where he’s enjoyed his share of success, especially when it needs all the help it can get.

In his defense, there are powerful forces at play, like Karen, whose offhand remarks can alter Phil’s moods faster than the drugs he half-heartedly sells. Her smile can make him question his entire being.

Then there’s his attraction to the seductive waitresses of the East Side’s most popular diner, his relationship with his estranged mother who shares his love of films, and his loyalty to Joe, the housemate who single-handedly holds Flint’s punk scene together. They need him. Or maybe they wouldn’t even notice if he left.

One thing’s certain, accomplished whiner and unpopular frontman, Stuart Page, needs Phil in a major way if his college band is ever going to play a gig at one of Flint’s legendary punk rock shows. Could aiding Stu provide the perfect exit?

In the past, Phil’s taken advantage of opportunities as they’ve come his way. So why does he feel like he’s living in a video for Dead or Alive’s dance club sensation, “You Spin Me Round ” now? He’s afraid of getting played. By life.