Less Than Zero - Does Anyone Else Think the Pacing is SO Off?

Okay, so I just rewatched Less Than Zero (the 80s one, obviously) and I'm having some serious pacing issues with it. I get the whole vibe – rich kids, no consequences, blah blah – but something about the way it unfolds just feels... disjointed. Like they're trying to jam too much angst into too little time. I'm AndersonCuts, and I'm all about a good edit. I think the editor on this did what they could, but maybe the source material was the problem? Specifically, the whole Julian storyline. Andrew McCarthy is decent, but is quickly spiraling descent into addiction just happens so fast? One minute he's relatively okay (for a rich, bored kid), and the next he's selling himself. I feel like we needed more scenes showing that decline so it hits harder? Or is that the point? I am kinda wondering if they tried to romanticize the drug use? I don't think so, but the quickness of the decline could give that impression. Also, the ending? I won't spoil it directly, but it felt super abrupt. Like, they rushed to a conclusion without really letting the emotional weight land. Anyone else feel this way? Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but it kinda bugs me. Is it a product of the 80s trying to cram too much into a small window? I'm not saying it's a terrible movie, I get there's a lot of nostalgia and a certain glossy aesthetic. I like James Spader here. But from an editing standpoint, and even just story-telling, I think it could've benefitted from a slower burn and some tighter focus on Julian's journey. What do you all think?