In a 2016 interview with the Daily Beast, Richard Linklater reflected on how long it would take him to make “Everybody Wants Some!!” and how the film’s ability to capture college experiences for the first time gives this film an unexpected connection to the previous film “Boyhood:”
“I’ve been trying to make this one for about ten years. I had the idea in ’02 and ’03. I just wanted to make a college film about what it’s like to be the new one. It wasn’t really a reaction to anything, just a film that I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time. It’s always been that story, but Boyhood finally hit it. Where Boyhood ends, Everyone Wants Some begins. There’s a bit of overlap with Boyhood in that it’s a completely different man, but the same kind of environment.”
“Everyone Wants Some!!” follows a group of college baseball players for three days as they enjoy their final weekend before the new semester begins. With “Confused and Confused” following high school students after the last day of school, there are clear narrative threads that carry between the two films. Moreover, “Boyhood”, a film that follows a boy from grades 1 to 12, ends with the main character in the same place as the main character “Everybody Wants Some!!” Intentional or not, Linklater’s ability to find common storylines in his films is impressive, making his entire filmography all the more interesting.
“Dazed and Confused” is a fantastic high school film. “Everyone Wants Some!!” is also a great spiritual sequel, and while it may take a while to get it, at least we know that when Linklater takes his time, he delivers.