This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. If you would like to keep up with our content, click here.
Synopsis: High school senior Lily and her group of friends live in a haze of texts, posts, selfies and chats just like the rest of the world. So, when an anonymous hacker starts posting details from the private lives of everyone in their small town, the result is absolute madness leaving Lily and her friends questioning whether they’ll live through the night. (Neon)
Starring: Odessa Young, Hari Nef, and Abra
Writer: Sam Levinson
Director: Sam Levinson
Rating: 18A (Canada)/R (United States)
Running Time: 110mins
Trailer (NSFW):
Assassination Nation is, well, wild. So wild, in fact, that it’s actually quite difficult to believe it didn’t get an R rating in Canada due to it’s violence that reaches extreme territory, and the way it portrays a multitude of taboo topics.
The whole film isn’t this way, though – Levinson allows the first 2 acts to play out as a traditional satire, occasionally edgy although maintaining self awareness. However, its drastic shift that comes with the third act, becoming one of the goriest films in recent memory, just goes a tad bit too far. It makes the point well, but it didn’t need to be as bloody and excessively redundant to keep its ideas prominent. However, the rest of the film is entertaining and relevant enough to check out, especially with its fantastic performances from the 4 female leads.
Score: 6/10
*full review coming soon*
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