“This is the story of how my town, Salem, lost its fucking mind.”
From the very first shot, director Sam Levinson doesn’t shy away from putting it all out there in Assassination Nation (which includes a “trigger warning” message, for those wondering what exactly this wild 110-minute ride will contain). In this provocative story about how a group of teenage girls fell victim to a county-wide hacking incident and then found themselves on the receiving end of the chaos, Assassination Nation is a delightfully disturbing film with a (pun intended) killer soundtrack to match.
Lily (Odessa Young) and her friends, Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), and Em (Abra) are typical, albeit incredibly stylish, teenage girls. They flirt with boys via texts and at booze-fueled parties, and have complicated relationships with their parents and classmates. The social media age they live in has them growing up way too fast, with a false sense of security that what happens online, stays online. The hacking starts small. First, it’s the town’s Mayor whose closeted gay, kink lifestyle gets exposed. Then it’s high school principal Turrell (Colman Domingo) whose seemingly innocent photos of his underage daughter are suddenly viewed as child pornography. Salem County is imploding from the inside with the deepest darkest secrets of its residents, but things get personal for the girls when Lily’s private text messages between her and her mysterious “Daddy” are plastered all over the internet- provocative pictures and videos included. Despite being a victim herself, Lily and her friends are getting blamed for the hack, and soon realize that with that blame comes a potentially deadly outcome.
Think Ingrid Goes West meets It Follows meets Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why with a modern day twist on the Salem Witch trials of 1692 and you’ll have a slight idea of what to expect in Assassination Nation. Odessa Young gives a powerful performance as the protagonist who is a no-holds-barred badass. Hari Nef as Bex steals every scene by balancing confidence and vulnerability. The film wouldn’t be the same without its supporting actors Bill Skarsgård, Joel McHale, and Bella Thorne, and they bring the thrills, chills, sex, scandal, violence, and vengeance to new heights.
Perhaps one of the more influential soundtracks to assist any film this year, every piece of music in ‘Assassination Nation’ compliments the film’s DGAF attitude of teenage angst and anti-establishment.
Levinson’s directorial approach to telling the story of Assassination Nation is unexpectedly theatrical. He incorporates clever lighting techniques that are usually reserved for a performance on the stage, like dimming the brightness to signal a sudden shift in action. Incorporating a three-way split screen to simultaneously show the characters and their whereabouts feels fresh and progressive. The inclusion of one-take shots, most notably the scene inside and around Em’s home, are breathtaking. It demonstrates his creativity as well as technical skill, and the result makes for many memorable moments.
Last but not least, the soundtrack. Perhaps one of the more influential soundtracks to assist any film this year, every piece of music in Assassination Nation compliments the film’s DGAF attitude of teenage angst and anti-establishment. Fuzzy electric guitars and pulsing bass lines are prevalent throughout the film and provide an emotional release to the girl’s feeling of entrapment and desperation. A powerful score from composer Ian Hultquist (who is also a founding member of the band Passion Pit) relies heavily on synth and trap beats that perfectly play to the images onscreen. Music supervisor Mary Ramos balances these heavier audible moments with more delicate songs that give the film breathing room, most notably the inclusion of ANOHNI’s ‘In My Dreams.’ I also highly recommend staying through the credits, you wouldn’t want to miss iconic marching band, The Sonic Boom of the South’s, rendition of Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop.’ That song has never sounded better.
Assassination Nation is a cinematic feast for the senses. Visually, audibly and beyond, we are violently thrust into Levinson’s chaotic world that, at times, doesn’t feel far off from our own. There is no doubt that the film’s inspiration stemmed from the current state of affairs and the ongoing fight against righteousness and hypocrisy. It isn’t the violence and bloodshed that makes Assassination Nation a “thriller,” it’s the fact that this could be our future if we’re not careful about our actions today.
‘Assassination Nation’ is rated R for disturbing bloody violence, strong sexual material including menace, pervasive language, and for drug and alcohol use – all involving teens. 110 minutes. Opening this Friday in theaters everywhere.
