Gyilkos nemzedék

This flick really can’t be taken seriously. It’s like Sam Levinson followed two directions. In the first half, it’s a mild socially critical drama gone wild, and in the second part, it turns into a shallow teenage grindhouse massacre, kicked off by a beautifully filmed scene of a house assault, but then drowns in illogical motivations of the characters and an incapacity to conclude the whole thing in a bold, uncompromising and most of all meaningful way. Instead, we are left with an ending that is safe, shallow and dumb. In this regard, the film structure slightly fails. Moreover, the piece is undermined by an uneven attempt at social satire on the one hand, while at the same time trying to appeal to the viewer with straightforward brutality. Still, thanks to some bravely spoken ideas in the first half that fit our current times, and given the fact I was well entertained even though it was late and I was tired from having watched other festival films, I will give this one a rating of over 50%. [Sitges 2018] (2018.10.19)

A postmodern, feminist, politically incorrect, social-media and, most importantly, disturbing thriller that offers a little bit of everything and mixes multiple genres at once, including the excellent home invasion, revenge and grindhouse. Definitely not a film for everyone, but I enjoyed every second of it. The very idea of private details and photos being leaked onto the internet is disturbing in itself and when it happens to half the city suddenly there is uncompromising anarchy and chaos. The acting is first class, audiovisually the film is impressive and rightly far-fetched. There are executions, kidnappings, nudity, eroticism, suicide, humiliation and killing. I don't think I've ever seen a more intense teen massacre. Interesting line from the film: “When i grow up, I wanna be a director and only make male rape revenge films. Like Deliverance? Ew no. That's gross. I want it to be sexy. Like, if someone remade Straw Dogs, but instead of Susan George getting raped, Dustin Hoffman gets raped.” 80%. (2018.12.09)

Don't expect an action thriller. This film is mainly a social satire about privacy on the Internet and the lives of teenage Americans on social networks. The film wants to be perceived as sharp and piercing, but instead it is as shallow as photos of Instagram models posing in front of a mirror. Through a story about five high school girls about the victims of Internet hackers hacking an online repository and leaking private user data to the public, the film holds up a mirror to America and the debauched, cheeky lifestyles of its troubled youth. However, instead of criticizing it, it actually supports and defends it. Although the film culminates in the last fifteen minutes with a modern witch hunt (that is why the story takes place in Salem, hint hint), during which there is finally some action, the audience has to wait a long time to get there. We have to suffer through an hour of dialogue, in which the eighteen-year-old protagonists are repeatedly presented as unsympathetic, conceited trollops with the fashionable taste of luxury prostitutes who are rude to everyone, but when someone dares to be rude to them, they cry and act as if they’ve been hurt. The tragedy lies in the film's futile attempt to persuade the viewer to cheer for the girls. Worth mentioning are the directing and camera, which in some places are quite imaginative, a couple of nicely shot scenes (the robbery of a family house in one shot) and aptly directed criticism of hypocrites who condemn other people without knowledge of context and arguments, and yet themselves have something to hide. The film amounts to postmodern, flat entertainment visually corresponding to the most recent Purge films, which will be appreciated especially by those who can identify with the protagonists. (2018.10.11)

This film perfectly encapsulates nearly everything that frustrates me about today's culture. It attempts to be a brutal satire but falls flat on many levels. Instead of delivering a biting critique, it ends up seemingly justifying the very things it's trying to mock, especially when it comes to the main characters. Assassination Nation is as absurd and silly as The Purge series – at times, it felt like it was set in the same universe. The film promises a politically incorrect, action-packed thriller with depth, but it's actually quite the opposite: politically and ideologically clear-cut and predictable. It's worth mentioning that South Park tackled almost the same theme and plot in its 20th season, doing so far more cleverly and without the annoying social media stereotypes, clichéd cops, and cringe-worthy dialogue. Also, don't be fooled by the promise of a violent, fast-paced ride – the film has a surprisingly slow tempo, with the first hour serving as one long setup for the second half, which ultimately fails to deliver any satisfying payoff. Instead, it reinforces the film's lack of cohesion and shallow writing. Purge: Assassination Nation is an overblown, silly piece of postmodern bullshit that might resonate with today's teens, who may see themselves reflected in it and think it's spot-on, while also mistakenly believing that it's all right. (2018.10.12)

A very controversial film, and I unfortunately join the ranks of those who will turn it down. Sorry, but films have to have some boundaries and limits, which this one downright lacks. A great idea and the timely topic of the internet, privacy and its invasion, but the execution struck me as incredibly stupid. An entire town murdering and executing each other over a few photos? Really? A film that could have been handled skillfully and with a definitive message for today, but instead it's a hodgepodge of all sorts of things that more or less don't hold together or make sense. The plot is incredibly overwrought and unrealistically stupid. Too bad, I was looking forward to this... (2019.03.19)