It's easy to say that we are living in a divisive time in which any news or comment of sorts could easily perplex or offend someone. But, also, it's timely because of the news going on surrounding political figures and celebrities and other prominent figures getting caught in sexual assault/harassment allegations. However, I set aside politics and I focus on reviewing the movie but it's hard to get those disturbing realities out of your head as it supposedly relevant to the material. So, focusing on reviewing the movie, I had some hopes watching an original spin of how leaks can split the gender dynamics but it focuses more on the carnage and the craziness than the story and meaning. The movie is way too much style over substance.
High school senior Lily Coulson (Odessa Young) is a regular student who hangs out with her friends, Bex, Em and Sarah (Hair Nef, Abra and Suki Waterhouse, respectively). The girls later go out to a party where Bex hooks up with her boyfriend, Diamond (Danny Ramirez) and Lily is alone with her boyfriend, Mark (Bill Skarsgard). After sex, Diamond starts to cry after Bex leaves and texts "Daddy" behind Mark's back.
Later, at school, Lily gets called into the principal's office where Principal Turrell (Colman Domingo) scolds her for drawing nude women as pornographic poses. Lily argues that the drawings are empowering, where Turrell sees potential in her. Soon, Turrell's phone gets hacked with pictures of her underage daughter are shown, making people to believe he is a pedophile. Whereas, Reagan (Bella Thorne) spreads nude pictures of her friend, Grace (Maude Apatow) to a guy show liked, causing a riff between them, leading Grace into custody.
The movie has some good ideas underneath its style but the material gets too out of control. It is one of those movies where you either go with it or go against it, but it does not mean that if you do not like it, it does not accuse you of anything bad. I am being honest that the movie is executed well with the lessons of gender dynamics, etiquette, cyber-bullying and social media use but the movie points out too well that it is a satire, it is too noticeable of telling us it is a satire about how society treating women and girls today. However, the movie contradicts itself by getting to the message and the movie becomes angry just to match the style and not to match the plot. It is more of a chase movie, and without spoiling, turning into a "Purge" movie that I'd watch.
I'll give all the four girls who play the friends credit as they give solid performances, primarily Odessa Young. She captures that innocence and also that rage to committing actions that one may judge because her decision would definitely cause a riot and it would go haywire. Director and writer Sam Levinson has a keen eye by meshing a timely subject with a stylistic vision but it is mostly just that along with a good execution in the first half and good performances. But, a weak execution setting off the second half as to how and why the leaks were produced is what spirals the movie out of control likes its heroines and from there, I just did not care anymore. It's more of a punk-rock, violent, stylistic music video than a movie. Also, the ending is very frustrating as the movie cheats. So, the bottom line is that it is a well-intentioned cautionary tale that turns into a confusing satirical thriller that became more of a burden to suffer through.
**
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