2020, Eamon O'Rourke (debut) -- download
Small town girl Joey (Kiersey Clemons, Sweetheart) is date raped by a college friend, and is left to suffer alone, unable to share with anyone close to her. As she works her small diner in a post-traumatic haze, she's approached by Regina (Alexandra Shipp, X-Men Apocalypse), who shows her a world where she can feel safe again, and maybe even get some revenge. Not so much legal justice, but plain out violent revenge. Add to the story a rabid "men's right activist" (i.e. raging misogynist; Miller) and a trafficking ring that thinks its untouchable (run by a small town's police force) and you get a flick that harkens back to the 70s revenge porn / girl power schlock fests.
This movie was butchered by the critics. And with some good reason. Its character depiction is amateurish, as they are more just motivations and reactions than people. But considering the violent fare I am watching these days, that is par for the course. Also, a white man helming a movie about women of colour reacting to the apathy of the patriarchy is just a wee bit exploitive, again somewhat harkening back to the 70s. And yet, with as much as the cast had to work with, they did give some genuine performances which left me appreciating it.
This movie sounds gross...but tell me more about the VanHudg
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't really a gross flick, more just ... misguided? The women of the movie are really the leaders of the movie, with the lone male lead being pretty ineffectual. i was attracted by the plot of a group of women going up against MRA / incel idiots, which was decently presented. just the whole idea of "rape as motivation" from male creators is just so 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteVanHudg plays the angry character. She just wants to abuse or kill or ... yeah ... do that back again at them. most of the other women have found community in the group, or purpose in the action, but Beatrice (VanHudg) is still the most damaged by her past.
and suddenly more thoughts spinning up, that probably should be in the post. beyond the cardboard characters, I imagine lots of critics just don't like the topic. why is a man writing & directing a flick about abused women fighting back. is he white-knighting? is he exploiting? is just just on a shock-lark? can he properly speak for the experience, and with the answer being NO, is that why the characters are so rail-thin? and the event that came after just ended up adding to my questioning of his motivations and purpose for doing this movie. But still, in the end, it was fun to see a bunch of MRA assholes get the shit beat out of them, which I kind of think was the only point of the movie despite the helming.