Connect with us

News

TIFF Review: ‘Assassination Nation’ is a Pulsing, Clawing, Furious Ride

Published

on

assassination nation

Set in the suburban sprawl of Salem, Assassination Nation is – in essence – an exploration of the infamous witch trials, but through a thoroughly modern lens. Think of it as Mean Girls meets The Purge, with a Spring Breakers aesthetic.

When Salem’s Mayor is hacked, the world becomes privy to his deepest, kinkiest secrets. Suddenly, other residents of the town are targeted. Their online activity – including search history, text messages, personal files and photographs – are leaked for all to see.

As sordid secrets are spread, the anxious anger in Salem reaches a fever pitch. Lives are ruined. Fear turns to fury, and the ruthless hunt for the hacker launches into a vicious, chaotic mania.

via IMDb

The film follows a group of four teenage girls with an unbreakable bond as they navigate the social codes of high school. Odessa Young (High Life), Hari Nef (Transparent), Suki Waterhouse (The Bad Batch), and strong newcomer Abra sizzle with an effortless energy as the fiery girl gang.

While there are frequent scenes that take place in and around their school, we rarely see the students in their classroom – and the presence of their teachers is negligible. This puts the entire focus on the social element of high school (the ins and outs, the friendship, the parties). It establishes a frame around their lives with one prominent picture inside.

via TIFF

Odessa Young plays Lily, our outspoken heroine. As our narrator, she’s the channel through which the film’s social message flows. Her woke, eloquent anger is sharp but measured – a perfect balance of performance and script.

Assassination Nation puts a strong focus on female sexuality and how it has been simultaneously fetishized and demonized. Women are encouraged to be sexy, but not too sexual. Confident, but not too loud. Always willing, but never slutty.

It’s worth noting that the fear of female sexuality was a large contributor in the creation of the Malleus Maleficarum and the witch-hunts that followed. So – as everyone knows – this had generally been a concern long before the invention of selfies and social media.

That said, technological upgrades have obviously affected the accessibility of  – and pressure to provide – intimate photos and videos. For every nude sent, there are about a dozen photos that didn’t quite meet the unrealistic expectations. And as Assassination Nation so clearly shows, anything posted, published, or shared online isn’t really private (as the film states, “It’s very difficult to stop the internet”).

via IMDb

Assassination Nation also takes a hard look at American ultraviolence and hypersensitivity. The film begins with a brash list of “trigger warnings” in massive red, white and blue letters that punch each point. Leaked information is taken horribly out of context by angry mobs that ride on a wave of family values.

But despite the moral outrage, violence is the most natural solution to everyone in town. Domestic acts of violence are as American as apple pie, so naturally it’s seen as the best option to release anger and eliminate the problem. The American flag is prominently and frequently featured as a both backdrop and a beacon for these violent acts.

There’s quite a bit to unpack with this film, but everything culminates in a deeply gratifying third act that rings clear like a battle cry.

Director Sam Levinson (Another Happy Day) and cinematographer Marcell Rév (White God) navigate through a Technicolor daydream with a pulsing score by Ian Hultquist (Clinical).

There’s one particularly stunning scene that tracks action through a house from its exterior in one continuous moving shot, and it’s incredibly effective at making the audience feel like a helpless witness.

The supporting cast is peppered with familiar faces, including Bill Skarsgård (IT), Joel McHale (Community), Bella Thorne (The Babysitter), Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead), Maude Apatow (This Is 40), and Cody Christian (Teen Wolf), with a rousing performance from Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls).

via TIFF

Now, you may find it hard to accept the idea that an entire town would turn on a group of teenagers so easily and so violently. But, let’s not forget that this wouldn’t be the first time. Assassination Nation’s flashy, modern, feminist retrospective on witch hunts uses overlapping layers of toxic masculinity, homophobia, transphobia, slut shaming, and the immediacy of overblown online reactions to present the idea that maybe – just maybe – it’s not so far fetched.

 

Assassination Nations opens theatrically on September 21, 2018. Check out the red band trailer and poster below.
Viewed at TIFF 2018 as part of their Midnight Madness program. For a full list of films Midnight Madness 2018 films (including the world premiere of Halloween) click here!

via NEON

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading