In the Trailer for Shoplifters of the World, Denver Teens Mourn The Smiths’ Breakup

Stephen Kijak’s latest follows a group of teens mourning the breakup of their favorite band in the late ’80s.

There are bands that have impassioned fanbases, and then there are The Smiths. More than three decades have passed since the band’s 1987 break-up, but their legacy still looms large thanks to timeless songs like “This Charming Man,” “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” “How Soon Is Now?,” and of course, “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.”

That’s the inspiration behind Stephen Kijak’s Shoplifters of the World. Set in Denver, 1987, the film follows a group of friends who’ve just discovered that The Smiths are no more. Determined to see their favorite band get the recognition it deserves, one of them takes over the local classic rock station and forces the DJ (a mustachioed Joe Manganiello) to play a Smiths marathon at gunpoint.

It’s a pretty straightforward premise and the trailer does seem to reveal the movie’s entire plot. But given Kijak’s previous works, which include acclaimed documentaries about Scott Walker, Jaco Pastorius, and the Japanese metal band X, I suspect there might be more to the movie than just mere nostalgia.

Shoplifters of the World will be released in theaters, on demand, and digitally on March 26.

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