#TIFF18 Review: Assassination Nation
By John Corrado
★★½ (out of 4)
When an anonymous hacker starts leaking the personal data of everyone in the town of Salem, four high school girls – Lily (Odessa Young), Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse) and Em (Abra) – end up having their worlds upended after their photos and texts are made public. Then all hell breaks loose.
Directed with up the minute style by Sam Levinson, Assassination Nation is a somewhat over the top social satire that explores relevant themes – privacy and sexism chief among them – but I’m not entirely sure it all works, and some of the messages get lost in the literal bloodbath of the finale.
Although it ultimately isn’t as deep as it seems to think it is, it’s still a fairly entertaining ride that is sure to resonate in these unusual times.
Em (Abra), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), Bex (Hari Nef) and Lily (Odessa Young) in Assassination Nation
Tuesday, September 11th – 10:45 PM at Ryerson Theatre
Wednesday, September 12th – 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre
The 2018 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6th to 16th.
