“I’m going to die in Delco!” is something we’ve all probably told ourselves, but really, “there are worse places to die.”
“Delco the Movie” (2025) follows three teenagers living in Delaware County, set place in 2004, Wayne Powers (Steve Harding), Adam Hess (Jeff Pfeiffer), and Jess Peterson (Jenna Keurzi). Wayne is the priest’s son and lives in his dad’s shadow of having to become a priest, while Adam is a very dedicated Christian. Jess is Wayne’s best friend, the atheist of the group, and my favorite character, who defies everything Adam stands for.
Together, they spend a night fooling around and pulling shenanigans such as shoplifting, partying, and vandalizing property, each undergoing a funny and meaningful journey of self-growth and identity.
Filming for “Delco the Movie” began two years ago and consisted of 11 days of filming at iconic locations in Delaware County, including the Brookhaven Police Station, Wawa, Sun Valley High School, and Tom Jones’ Diner. The movie’s production was led by director and Oxford Area High School journalism teacher Chris Pierdomenico and producer Leah Cevoli.
“Delco the Movie” premiered at the Media Theatre on Friday, January 17 with a “red carpet” and a Q&A following the screening. Shows ran from Friday through to Monday, January 20. Three initial public showings of the movie sold out, so two more were added at 7 p.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Monday—which also sold out.
The team behind “Delco the Movie” hopes to release the movie for home viewing in the future, but plans are not concrete yet. “The goal is for it to be seen by as many people as possible either by streaming or physical,” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “If I have to print it on a bunch of VHS tapes I will, but hopefully it will be something a little more modern.”
In terms of self-growth and the movie’s underlying message, I especially resonated with Wayne, who really transforms and figures out who he is and what he might want to do with his life in that one night. It’s interesting to see him question his faith and whether he was meant to fill his dad’s shoes. I personally felt his outcry when he exclaimed, “I’m going to die in Delco!”
Seeing how identity changes as we experience new things and that sometimes it’s okay not being perfect was a very clear-cut theme in Wayne’s growth. On the other hand, seeing Adam change from being a self-absorbed jerk who was all about his religion to having a life with friends and respecting people’s boundaries and cultures made me hate him less than when we first met him at the beginning. Pfeiffer especially did a great job showing that being annoying made his character a lot to handle.
Overall, the entire cast and production team did an exceptional job in conveying their message, using music that really emphasized the mood, and showing how iconic Delco can be.
I know I have many major takeaways from the movie about growing up, friendships, the meaning of our actions and words, and that Delco “is not hell, but it’s pretty darn close.”
