'Assassination Nation', 2018

I was perusing the LGBT+ category on Hulu this weekend when I came across ‘Assassination Nation’ (2018), a dark comedy film by Sam Levinson. I’m not so sure that I would place it in the LGBT+ category, but I do have to acknowledge that it is somewhat centered around the experiences of a queer person (and so, not entirely misplaced). The movie takes place in Salem (a fictional town in modern-day America), and follows the experiences of a high school senior, Lily, and her three close friends. The town is shocked when private images of the mayor are leaked to the public, but Salem is thrown into absolute chaos when this is followed by a massive hack of almost every member of the town (and the subsequent leaking of all their personal information).

Some things I liked: The movie was made in 2018 and definitely feels appropriate to this time period. While some outcomes of the movie are (hopefully) too wild to be realistic, there are many aspects of the film that are terrifying in how similarly they resemble current events (for example, the rise of white supremacy - or at least, its visibility). This commentary is entertaining, but also makes the movie an even more chilling thriller, as it forces the audience to question whether the crazy things that happen in Salem are too far from the truth. As for queer representation, one of Lily’s best friends is Bex, a trans girl (played by Hari Nef, who is also a trans woman - yay representation!).

Some things I didn’t like: While the movie may both entertain and terrify audiences, it may confuse or annoy others. I found myself questioning the decisions of characters who were written to be rather one-dimensional, including Lily. If you can suspend your disbelief (or accept it), ‘Assassination Nation’ may be a more enjoyable watch - and it’ll certainly thrill you to the very end. And even if you don’t see this movie as the next cult hit, I hope you can appreciate the “cathartic power of female rage”, as this Jezebel article refers to it.

The five words I would use to describe this film: flashy, exhilarating, violent, chilling, relevant

My queer take: While I wouldn’t necessarily define ‘Assassination Nation’ as a queer film, I did appreciate that one of the four characters it revolved around was trans. Bex narrowly escapes being a prop used to make the movie more modern or relatable; the film, through her, does depict some of the challenges that trans people face in our society. But if you’re going to watch this movie, don’t do it for its supposed LGBT+ representation; do it because you love thrillers and/or dark comedy. The film had mixed reviews from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, which states that the film ”juggles exploitation and socially aware elements with mixed results, but genre fans may find it too stylish and viscerally energetic to ignore."

CW: transphobia, sexual harassment, attempted rape, and many intense scenes of violence and gore

Fun (queer) fact: Hari Nef, who plays Bex, is the first openly transgender woman to appear on the cover of a major British magazine. She is also an accomplished model, writer, and advocate for trans issues.

Fun (cinema) fact: In the second act of the film, there’s a (10 minute long?) scene filmed from outside the home of two of the main characters. This sequence was shot in a single take, using a crane.