Throughout the year, there are times where I’m genuinely excited to see a unique, odd film that I barely know anything about. They’re usually the type of films that my family makes fun of me for wanting to see or the type that I have to see alone because most of my friends are on the fence about seeing it. It’s totally understandable; When most of your movie theater experiences throughout the year are for films that are heavily advertised and exactly what you’re expecting, it’s difficult to spend money for a film when all you have is a vague trailer and a hint at what the tone of the film might be. Personally though, these types of independent films get me excited because as someone who tries to be consistently up-to-date on the latest movie news, it’s nice to hear about a film only a handful of times before its release. I like to be surprised and, thankfully, Assassination Nation did a lot more than just surprise me.
Assassination Nation is a graphic, dark action comedy from the mind of Sam Levinson, the son of acclaimed director Barry Levinson who is known mostly for films such as Rain Man and Good Morning, Vietnam. Thankfully though, after this film, Sam Levinson will hopefully be known less for his familial ties and more for his second directing effort. Assassination Nation is, without a doubt, one of the most polarizing films I’ve seen this year. It is a film that deals with subtlety the same way a sledgehammer deals with a perfectly good windshield yet it’s aware of that. The best way I can describe it is a modern-day Heathers with just a touch of The Purge. It’s a film that deals with real world topics and issues yet doesn’t try to fool you into thinking its world is exactly like ours. It’s like an alternate universe that is a sidestep from our own yet is still close enough to be noticeably disturbing.
However, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain the premise. The film takes place in the fictional town of Salem, an American suburban town that doesn’t seem like anywhere special at a glance. However, when an anonymous hacker starts to leak the secrets of a few residents, the town begins to worry about impact. Then, the hacker decides to leak half of the town’s population, leading Salem to become a chaotic hellhole filled with murderous vigilantes.
In the middle of all this is our main character Lily (Odessa Young) and her three best friends: Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), and Em (Abra). They’re average teenagers who have been dealing with the leaks in their own way, making fun of them while enjoying life and acting as if they’ll never be victims of the hack...until one of them becomes one. What happens after that is intense, stylish, and equally satisfying as it is intentionally unsatisfying. I’d say more but this film definitely works better as a “the less you know, the better” type of scenario.
There’s too much to talk about with this film so I’ll start with the performances. Odessa Young is a force to be reckoned with as Lily, Hari Nef is impressive, Waterhouse and Abra are wonderful, and that goes for the rest of the cast. The film even uses Bella Thorne and sarcasm incarnate Joel McHale perfectly, using Thorne as a vapid cheerleader who believes privacy is completely dead while McHale plays a husband whose life changes when swept up in the leaks. The lead girls are the best though, feeling like the perfect combination of the Heathers clique and Winona Ryder’s character Veronica Sawyer, mixing their sassy, sarcastic moments with great character moments where their intelligence shines and their vulnerabilities are put to the test. It’s a very entertaining ensemble that never ceased to amaze me.
Speaking of entertaining, the film’s cinematography and shot composition is stunning at times. Whether it’s bathing Lily in a deep pink ray while synth music is blaring or a one-shot scene that is extremely smooth, Levins and cinematographer Marcell Rév team up to create some incredible visuals that feel like more than just style over substance. Sure, there are moments of all style but they are overshadowed by some of the best shots in the film. The film even uses social media perfectly, using the visuals to perfectly capture the digital lives of our characters. The camerawork makes it obvious that Levinson’s team prefer style with a purpose which is perfect for what the film is trying to do.
It is with that in mind that brings me to the film’s themes and messages. If the graphic violence wasn’t enough to turn people off, this is where the film would be considered polarizing. The film opens up with trigger warnings involving bullying, nudity, abuse, homophobia, transphobia, violence, torture, attempted rape, toxic masculinity, and so on. It’s a film that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, instead throwing them out to dry so that everyone can see them for the disgusting things that they are. In addition to that, the girls’ journey involves personal battles with sexism, being called “sluts” and “whores,” abusive spouses, being belittled for their opinions, being treated like lesser people compared to others, and so on. It’s not a film that is trying to bash men but it certainly is making it clear that women are still dealing with ridiculous adversities today, especially when it comes to the current political administration (they make it very clear that they’re not Trump fans). With that said though, I personally enjoyed how the film handled the topics, finding the perfect balance of purposeful, over-the-top silliness and a sense of realism that is anything but trying to glorify sex, violence, etc.
All these elements mix into a film that might be one of the best films I’ve seen this year. It definitely has little flaws such as a predictable twist and a few threads that don’t feel satisfyingly tied up. I say these are little flaws because the film’s strengths absolutely outweigh their weaknesses. Assassination Nation is a polarizing, dark film that made me laugh, gasp, smile with delight, and even tense up all in less than two hours. I know there’s a possibility that a second viewing might diminish its value for me but considering I have been thinking about it every now and again days after I saw it, I think that’s enough for me to say that Assassination Nation is a film that is worth the watch solely for the conversations that’ll come after it.