After a few red band trailers, it’s hard to come up with new things to say about “Assassination Nation.” At first, the trailers tried to shock viewers, with trigger warnings and violence. Then the trailers tried to make you laugh, with lots of style and…violence. And now, with the seemingly final red band trailer, the Sundance and TIFF selection is trying to get down to the basic plot. Oh yeah, and there’s still plenty of violence.
For those that haven’t been bombarded with the flashy trailers previously, “Assassination Nation” tells the story about a small town that becomes the victim of a large-scale hack. Suddenly, everyone’s personal info, including nude pictures and private texts, are out in the open. And who’s to blame? Well, the town believes the perpetrators are a group of four obnoxious teenage girls. So naturally, the townsfolk grab their guns and various other weapons and hunt the girls down.
The early reviews for the film bring up other movies like “Heathers” and “The Purge.” But just for fun, I’d like to add “The Warriors” for good measure. There’s a feeling of the “everyone out to get a small group” feel that just brings to mind Walter Hill’s classic film. There’s even the idea of certain other “gangs” (jocks, police, etc…) coming at the girls separately, as the teens sport matching red coats. Sure, there’s a lot more going on, but this looks like a technology-fueled, socially-conscious version of the 1979 film.
But any way you cut it, “Assassination Nation” is attempting to shock and surprise audiences when it comes out later this month. Hopefully, it’s not all style with little substance.
“Assassination Nation” hits the Toronto International Film Festival today before releasing in theaters on September 21.