Where to find it: NowTV
Length: 110 minutes
Synopsis: A fearless but directionless woman finds a purpose in vengeance
Recommendation rating: 4/5
What I like about it: writing, aesthetics, soundtrack, Bo Burnham getting to flex some acting muscles, Laverne Cox (with a septum ring)
What I don’t like about it: sometimes cheesy or offensive, very heavy subject matter
Review:
This appears on the face of it to be a #MeToo slasher flick, a genre film cheaply cashing in on the zeitgeist, but it delivered on far more than that. Yes, the expected straw-bros are here with “locker room talk” that is as nauseating as it is stilted but around that is a tale with some remarkably considered and nuanced moments and plot twists that, if you don’t examine this too closely, make it stick with you. The thoughtful soundtrack is a highlight – particularly a slow, creepy string-quartet arrangement of Britney’s Toxic – and while not quite a great film, it is a very promising feature debut from writer-director Emerald Fennell and fascinating company if you can handle it.
Content notes (may contain spoilers): sexual abuse, violence, rape culture