FILM REVIEW

ASSASSINATION NATION FILM REVIEW 

I have chosen to review a film that in my opinion is the most thrilling, exciting, socially bending, girl bossing, horrifying yet empowering movie; Assassination Nation. Set in the modern periods of 2016-18 and written, directed and produced by Sam Levinson, Assassination Nation dives into the very real, very harsh reality of teenage youth in a time so exposed to the daunting truth of Social media and the internet. 

During the time of castings and the filming of the film, the 2016 US presidential election was taking place, leaving the American public in what some might call hysteria. I remember being so obsessed with this film that of course I did what many others do and stalked the hell out of every single little aspect of the whole movie. I’m talking full blown stalk of each of the actors, especially the four main stars, Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse (my British idle), Hari Nef and Abra, all of which I feel embody the empowerment of what its like to be a girl. During the audition process, Levinson spoke to actress Hari Nef on the topic of the much known Donald Trump and his awful victory on the presidential election back in 2016. Levinson and Nef and I’m sure many of the cast used this communal and shared anger against politics and reflected this passion into many aspects that this film explores. That being one of the main aspects of the film that I love: the socially challenging and sometimes taboo topics covered throughout. 

During the beginning, my favourite narration from Lily (played by Odessa Young) lists all the *trigger warnings of the film, some of which include; abuse, toxic masculinity, bullying, transphobia, nationalism, the male gaze, murder. Located in the town of Salam, the film parallels the same hysteria directed at the Salam witch trials back in the 1600s, and Levinson’s adaptation of this similarity includes a modern, gruesome and thrilling link to societies treatment of the “unknown” and in this case to the unidentified hacker. 

The messages communicated through this film, for me, was so strongly relatable to the times my generation is living in with the new norms of social media dictating our lives and in a way I feel this film uses the every day instances of nudes leaking, text messages getting out and overall the sad truth that privacy is an increasingly rare privilege to have as a young adult in this world and completely takes it on a whole other level to the extremities this film explores. 

Along with the wicked story line, Levinson’s use of cinematography brings this piece of drama to a whole new level which is another advancing factor to why I love this film and his work. Levinson really invites an exciting and daring perspective to his work using the filming and movement throughout this film. All together with the costume, sets and lights used, as an audience member you feel utterly sucked into this world of chaos but simultaneously this strong sense of feminine power that as a girl, I feel is so important to be able to strive towards, hence making Assassination of my favourite films so far.