 Thanks for checking out this no spoilers movie review and this one is for Assassination nation a film that actually came out in 2018. So just last year super super new. I got it out through my Netflix DVD service Yes, I keep saying this. Yes I'm still using Netflix DVD service because they have a huge selection that you cannot necessarily get on streaming services. So This film I'm gonna say this up front at the end. I typically do my star rating and it's out of five And it's halves in play. This is a five star for me. This film is Amazing if you have not seen this film go see this film And it makes me feel bad that I didn't see it in the theater because I know some people were out there saying hey This film is really good people need to go out and support it It did not do well in theaters And I think part of the reason for that was that people kind of didn't know what it was I'm not sure that I'm not sure I even saw a trailer for it prior I had heard about it coming out and with the title like assassination nation It's kind of hard to know what the film is going to be and I will say that having just watched it and Obviously doing this review. It's it's a film that it's a lot of genres kind of rolled into one Yes, it would constitute as horror, but it would also constitute as drama It would also constitute as like thriller. It would it's a revenge film. It's got a lot of gore in it It's got a lot of social topics in it It's very smart film and that's one of the other things about this is I know probably a lot of people may not like this film Just because it's very smart. It has a lot to say and it's a very progressive film So that's the other thing is I know a lot of people when they see a film that's trying to tell them something Trying to kind of give you What's the best way to put it kind of give you some lessons in a sense a lot of people don't like that type of thing This film is chock full of those types of lessons. It's actually kind of a look at our society and the hate culture basically that has Developed and that's hate in a lot of realms. It it excuse me It touches so much so for that reason on my phone I actually have a lot of notes on it and they may be kind of like a little bit out of order because I just Kind of do the notes as I'm watching the film So I'm gonna talk about as much as I can but I'm also gonna say like this I can't cover everything I just can't because this film is so chock full of stuff that it just I Would need to watch it a few times I think in order to get everything going on it because there's so much the script is so tight The film is tightly edited. It's extremely well directed. The acting is really good. The writing is amazing The music choices are really good and really go the cinematography is beautiful Everything looks phenomenal sounds phenomenal is phenomenal with this film Which is why I'm giving it a five-star rating, which I don't think I've done a five-star rating for any of my reviews yet But this film is You got to see it. I mean you really do the other thing about what why I think this is maybe not All that popular up front and I do think this is a film. That's gonna become a cult classic For me, it's it's a cult classic right now because it didn't do all that well and I loved it. This was Phenomenal I'm gonna tell a lot of people about this film Obviously here we go. It's a movie review. Please take this send that watch this and send it to other people and say Hey, check out this guy's no spoiler review on this film I am gonna be able to dive pretty deep on this with a lot of themes and everything and not really actually spoil the film Which is kind of a cool thing, but one of the things is this is an uncomfortable film for a lot of reasons It's uncomfortable because it makes you think about things that are ingrained in your own society It's uncomfortable because it makes you think about things that are ingrained as you in you as a human being and Kind of makes you reflect on that stuff It's uncomfortable because it has overt sexual topics and it has a lot of things that a lot of people may just find uncomfortable in general Depending on who you are because there's I mean It's it's interesting because the way the film opens up They have this kind of crazy screen that says like trigger warnings and then they go through like this Quick series of words that flash on the screen that tell you all the potential triggers like gore violence Homophobia toxic mass male ego I'm trying to think of everything. There's so much. There's some homophobia There's so much bullying. That's another big one in this like it just like runs through everything Which I think is an interesting kind of take because I feel like nowadays there are so many like Moments where people have to say okay, this is you know, here's your trigger warning. This is a trigger So for them to kind of like flash it up front It's interesting because it lets you know what you're getting into and it also kind of guide you Into this is what we're trying to get through to you at the same time through through this film So I'm not gonna be able to hit every single one of those topics because it's just so much And this would just end up being like an hour long and like I said, you know, I I would have to watch it A few more times. I like doing there's reviews like initial reaction after it. So all right So like I said, it's about hate culture. It's about hate culture in general Rolls into specifically because it's very online based and social media based as the focus of the catalyst of the actual problem in this film But that's obviously, you know, what is behind Technology and what is behind social media? It's human beings and it's what society says and what society makes you think and make you Do and all these types of things so it's about social media But it's also it's mainly about society and how people drive all that And the terrible stuff that comes with it and the fact that you know, maybe we should Critically think a little bit more about things we think and and how we react to things and stuff like that But I'll talk a little bit more about that as we go through but yes It's about this hate culture, but it also has components of what's developed over the past decade or so of the online troll culture, which is kind of this culture of just wanting to Do bad things and say terrible things Just because people think it's fun like they think it's fun to be a jerk They think it's fun to be an awful person and a lot of times you end up finding that there are people who if you're talking to them In real life, they're actually really nice They're really cool people and then they get online and it's like this alter ego where they're like a total jerk Like a total ass and they go around and all they want to do is make people mad by posting these inflammatory comments And you ask them, you know, if you have the ability to ask them like why are you doing this stuff? They're like, oh, you know, I just think it's fun How is that fun? Like I don't even understand and I know some people like this to be honest I'm not really friends with them They're kind of acquaintances in a sense and that it just boggles my mind how people can be like that Like you're one person it's so two-faced you're one person in person and you're another person behind your computer screen Which obviously it has to do with the fact that when you're Like in the flesh interacting with someone you have to answer for your for what you say and what you do when you're behind a computer screen There's a veil right there and you can hide behind that people don't necessarily know who you are So you can get the satisfaction out of antagonizing someone or putting someone down or pissing someone off And nobody actually knows who you are. They can't attribute it to your actual personality So you really have like I mean in everyone to a degree has an online personality and an in-person personality so this kind of this film actually takes that and kind of says like what happens if that's all meshed together and everything you do online and via technology is exposed and then basically those two Versions of you come together like what does that turn into? What does that end up being so? Sorry, I'm gonna read through my notes. I may have covered some of this already because I just go Like I said a lot of this in this film potentially could Could offend some people or make you uncomfortable I think that's the biggest thing not necessarily like offend but make you uncomfortable And I think that's actually a good thing in this film because of the points It's trying to make you should be uncomfortable because it is Uncomfortable and these things in real life are uncomfortable. I'm just saying but it presents it in such an awesome way Like I said like the film is beautifully shot really well acted extremely well-written Shout out to Sam Levinson by the way the guy who wrote and directed this I will look forward to everything this guy is doing in the future very very nice work So one of the one of the things early on that may turn some Older crowds off is the way it's shot. It's very like frantic and kind of fast-paced some quick shots The way the music is it seems a little music video ask It just has more of a younger audience feel to it It's more it's way more youthful than a lot of people my age and around my age and older When they approach horror are looking for you know, it's a lot faster. It just seems more young It's more like a More like a film that I'd see I'd hear some some people who annoy me saying I don't know those Millennials It's for those Millennials like Yeah, so anyway, just letting you know that It makes a good point about people's desire to have those in their lives as they want them and not actually Accept them the way they are and this becomes clear. It's very much a societal thing where People are kind of given these ideas through social media and through movies and shows and stuff like that that there's a certain way you want your friends to be you want your family to be you want your You know romantic partners to be and It's led to this issue and this film definitely points it out where there's this pressure for people to act the way People in your life want you to be and not who you are So it's more like on you to change and become what they want and less on them to actually accept Who you are as a person, you know, like why should you have to edit yourself? Why should you have to change who you actually are and that's kind of the point one of the many points that this film is making Which I really enjoyed and Then it also kind of makes a point about you're becoming something for social consumption is what I wrote down I mean, it's truly what it is. So it's kind of like what I was talking about before of like having these two use It's you out in public and it's you behind a screen and social media especially with all these people who do You know these trying to get the perfect photo or trying to be the perfect person online and trying to do this or do That or look a certain way So people put a lot of time into that and that's that's making yourself Most consumable like creating yourself for social consumption and not necessarily being who you are like having The flaws, you know, like I mean, I'll give you a prime example right now. It's kind of weird But you know, like I'm balding I'm sure a lot of people can tell that because the way that this that you know The camera shoots like you can see it looking up this way for sure But you know, I the way I get my hair cut There's a way that it's kind of covered a little bit, you know like why shouldn't I feel like I can just kind of Let everything go and it is how it is which you know I don't put a lot of time into like doing my hair or anything So a lot of times you see this like what I could do in this video is I could wear a hat I could do something to kind of cover it up But at the same time, I'm like, you know, it's me, you know Like so I I deal with it a little bit because it obviously is something I am uncomfortable with but I don't I don't go to the extreme of like what's being pointed out in this film of You know finding that perfect picture and setting yourself exactly posing exactly right so you look the best you possibly can I'm not doing these videos to look the best I can I'm hoping that the content speaks for itself and people just looking at me aren't too turned off by the fact that I look The way I do and instead listening to what I'm saying and appreciating it. So just another point there This shows how invested people are in inserting their judgment into what others do with their own bodies Yeah, this is another big thing that's kind of pointing out and this kind of feeds into the hate culture the trolling all that type of stuff where We have a society. We have a culture that that has become especially since the internet like that I feel like that's accelerated this a lot Where people immediately will judge, you know You you see something about a person that isn't It's not you you can't relate to it. That's not the way you are. It's very different to you It's new to you whatever and some people are in this mode now of seeing that and immediately reacting to it Without knowing that person without having context sometimes and just saying I don't like that or that's stupid or that's disgusting Or that's terrible, you know just being Judgmental as a default when Ideally if we really think about it, we should be stepping back and in those moments just saying You know, that's not familiar to me. That's weird to me But that's that's not me like that's that person and that's their life And I don't have anything to do with me Just whatever if you see something you don't really like something that makes you mad Unless it has very negative impact on someone else like someone's being hurt or being bullied or something Like that. You should just Whatever, you know brush it off because it's not you but we've gotten into this mode and this film points that out of just being like I Have the right to react very viscerally to everything without putting much thought into it and extremely Judgmentally and that's nuts At one point in this film they break the fourth wall and they don't really do it again so much It's it's this moment where one of the characters is like oh, I love this song and everyone's like What song and and then she like looks at the camera is like this song and snaps her fingers and then the music starts And it's like an intro for these characters going somewhere and I was like It did it didn't work for me and it mainly didn't work because it's not that type of film It's not the film that's consistently breaking the fourth wall like that having the actors interact with the crowd in a sense It's that one moment and it just felt weird and that's my one small criticism. I would take that out for sure I think it was just too odd But the music that plays works like I said the music and this works extremely well this film takes on the fear of everyone knowing your secrets and Being openly judged something I already talked about but yeah One of the biggest things with this is this this fear that the secrets that you have that are hidden You think through technology are somehow made available to everyone and then what does that do to you? The judgment that everyone starts to put on you Everyone knows everything about you because you are two people at this point like I was talking about you're a person in real life And you're a person in online and through technology And then when people know the both both leave the you that sounds weird when people know both versions of you I should say how do they react to it especially with such a judgmental? Mindset like I'm saying society is because it is There's an idea of the older generation wanting to keep secrets and the younger generation kind of wanting to be more open and be free and That comes through in this film. I mean between the generations, you know, it's it's Teenage teenagers, which I don't know if they're actually teenagers but like are supposed to be teenagers. I Mean they look like they could be but then again as I age. I'm a very terrible judge of age I used to be good at it. But as I continue to get older, I cannot judge age. I have no clue. So So yeah, it's kind of this this This extreme difference is set up between the older generation and the younger generation where the older generations like You know, you really need to filter this So you really need to not do this in this situation and not do that in that situation Whereas the younger generations like well, I'm just trying to be me like why should I hide this and You're thinking about this in a totally different context or you're thinking about this in a context that is Archaic it's old. It's kind of saying. Oh, well, this is what it is because that's what society's told me for so long like one of the main things they focus on in this is kind of sexuality and nudity as as it relates to sexuality. There's kind of a point made in it of People look at a nude picture and they immediately think it's sexual when it may not very it may very well Not be sexual at all like the intent of it was never sexual. It's just a nude body. And so it's that kind of Point that they're trying to make is that these things are not mutually exclusive Every time you see nudity it isn't sexual Maybe to you you may want it to be sexual, but that doesn't mean it is sexual or at least the intent of it When that person was taking that picture or making that video or whatever It may very well not have been intended to be sexual And that's the point that's made here And that's the point that's made between the young and the old because that's a common occurrence Where the older generations look at nudity and sex and stuff like that and see it as extremely taboo Now as generations pass as we get more new and new generations Things start to loosen up more especially with things like social media where you are kind of encouraged to share things to Be a little bit more of yourself, but it's also very judgmental at the same time. So It's kind of this catch-22 there But that was extremely interesting of these opposing younger versus older and their ideas sets and being so different And it's true. I think it's true to life. I really do The troll culture and American tendency to see something online and take action Get angry without knowing the truth. They're having context. So I already talked about this a little bit But this also kind of crosses into even like seeing articles or seeing headlines Which is way more common that people don't read the articles. They only see headlines Which a lot of times headlines are misleading. I can tell you for a fact. I used to work in Journalism I used to work for a newspaper way over ten years ago and Yeah, I can tell you there are misleading headlines so But there are a lot of people who online when they see an article They'll just read the headline and move on and make an assumption about it. Well, you're not getting the context You have no clue what the actual story is there. You have no clue What it really even means and you have no clue if what you read is accurate or matches up with the Text of the body of the article so this kind of crosses over to human to humans as well like when you see a picture of someone online or when you see them post Something online you have a visceral immediate reaction to it and it's a judgmental one typically and You don't know that person a lot of the times unless they're very good friends ears in which case you do But a lot of times you don't know who that person is you have no context of what were they thinking when they did this What was their intention necessarily? Which is which also speaks to why texting is so bad as opposed to being on the phone with someone because there's no Inflection that people can get so there are oftentimes in my life and in other people's lives where Text just texting it leads to an issue because people read into it something that's not Intended and it's one of those issues of seeing something and not knowing the context of it So this specific way I was talking about articles, but you know it crosses into many things like I'm saying here But yeah, that's another thing they hit on is this sounding like dense this film is dense There's so much and these types of films Very enjoyable for me I love when I have to just like dig in and like pull things out of these films and and just like there's Thing after thing after thing to recognize is great It touches on openness and sexuality Yeah, that's what I was already kind of talking about that about the young generation versus old generation With nudity and sex and stuff like that and actually, you know The younger generations become more free with talking about sex with sexual depictions things like that And then this also kind of touched on tied to that the whole thing of like slut shaming where it's kind of this issue where if you are openly sexual or you are sexually active And talk about it then people are like oh you're a slut instead of just being like that's your choice And this goes back once again to being extremely judgmental not knowing that person's life not knowing the context of what's going on And like I was saying before one of those things where if someone's talking about that you just be like, okay You know, that's not me. That's your life. Whatever How does that impact you it doesn't why should you care? You shouldn't And that's the point just let it go. Whatever And then the final thing I had I know people are feeling like this is gonna be like a half an hour So I swear it's not gonna be the final thing I wrote. This is there's this one scene in this film There are many really good-looking scenes in this but there's one scene in particular where I really perked up And was like the camera work on this is ridiculous. It is amazing. So there's a scene where they're Shooting it from outside of a house through multiple windows, and they just keep panning and like following What's going on in the house on two different levels and outside of the house as well, and it looks Phenomenal that is amazing camera work. It's very creative. It's very interesting. It grabs your it grabs your attention in that In that moment as well. It's just it's amazing and the fact to like get the flow of that and keep the scene Coherent and interesting with all the different things going on Not easy to pull off and it just it's amazing. It looks so good. So anyway, like I said, I already told you five star on this You must must must see it Not just if you're a horror fan But if you're a fan of film if you're a fan of film you must see this and like I said, you know It may be uncomfortable for you, but push through it. It is 100% worth it. I loved it When watch this again, I really do it's so good. It is so good It makes you think so much. It is smart It is in your face and and for the horror fans out there I know there are a lot of horror fans who are like, I just I like good kills. I like good gore There is good gore. There is and at one point this basically turns into a siege film So if you're a fan of siege films, which you usually have a lot of gore and violence and kills It's in there for you. Like I said, it's a lot of things meshed into one and it's phenomenal, but Sam Levinson Man, you did it. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I feel honored in a sense to be able to Consume this film that you've put out there very well done sir and Everyone involved with this like I said the acting was so good the music was so good cinematography is so good editing So good. It's all so good. It's also good. Anyway, I'm not gonna continue to go on with my love affair with this film Thank you everyone for checking this out. Please help me out. Hit that subscribe right there Can help me out big time with this channel long-term trying to grow word of mouth, too That's another big thing. Please tell people about this channel if you like it Go ahead and comment down there. Have you seen assassination nation? Do you want to if you haven't and you've seen this now you should have you should want to as I almost said You should have to yes, we should mandate everyone see this. No, you should want to And give me a thumbs up if you're interested in stuff like that Anyway, thank you so much for checking this out and until next time keep it brutal