Blame

I watched this trailer and said nope. Then I had to watch the film because it was nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards and I was really glad I did. It was written and directed by Quinn Shephard who wrote much of the screenplay when she was a teenager. She also stars in the film and produced most of the music for the soundtrack. Talk about impressive. The story is set in a high school and focuses on the relationship or hateship between teenage girls. Abigail (Quinn Shephard) is labeled as an outcast because she had some sort of mental breakdown and missed a large portion of school. The other kids call her Sybil. God, kids are the worst. Melissa (Nadia Alexander) has a particular hatred for Abigail and an affinity for trying to get boys attention. The arrival of a new drama teacher, Jeremy (Chris Messina), proves tricky terrain. Jeremy picks Abigail to star in the play over Melissa and that sets off Melissa’s vindictive spree. Shephard plays with a lot of tough topics in this one (sexual abuse, inappropriate teacher/student relations). Jeremy crosses many lines with Abigail but Messina plays it less like a creepy pedophile teacher and more subtly stepping over boundaries he knows he shouldn’t cross. Alexander is fantastic as Melissa. I literally hated her so much I couldn’t stand looking at her face when she was on screen. But Shephard anticipates this and at the end provides some sympathetic backstory that makes you go “Ohhhh okay.” Some redemption for even the worst character, which I appreciated. I was very impressed with the caliber that Shephard was able to achieve in her first feature film.

Film or Movie: Film
You’ll like this film if:
1. You like teen stories
2. You like The Crucible
3. You want to see a rising star in Quinn Shephard