Asking For It
demand For Itjoins a growing subsection of the retaliation thriller genre that opts for style over gist . The film , written and directed by Eamon O’Rourke , forge itself like Sam Levinson’sAssassination Nation , where the photographic film ’s central themes are grounded in our current realism but presented in a highly - stylize and unlikely personal manner .
Kiersey Clemons plays Joey , a waitress who is sexually assault by someone she know . notice a change in Joey ’s demeanor is frequent diner guest Regina ( Alexandra Shipp ) , who introduces Joey to the vigilante group of badass women — the Cherry Bombers . The group include Beatrice ( Vanessa Hudgens ) , Lily ( Leslie Stratton ) and their drawing card Sal ( Radha Mitchell ) . The crew is focused on taking down alt - right snowy supremacist Mark Vanderhill , who is whipping up a frenzy of highly volatile humankind who think in the domination of women . Unfortunately , this is one aspect of the celluloid that does n’t call for imagination as it is rip straight from real life .
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O’Rourke makes a clear delineation between what ’s a feminist and what is a mankind - hater . And while there is not a ton of beloved to be found for men with the Cherry Bombers , they do n’t entirely survive to trample the opposite sex . However , ask For Itworks only with extreme point , undercutting the Cherry Bombers by paint them as survivors of sexual violence and nothing more . There is picayune to no development of who they are as multitude . Rather , their traumas take center stage . The Brassica napus - revenge genre is a highly contentious one , fill with a variety of photographic film that speak to sure radical of hoi polloi . There is a slight trend toward the more eye - catching and upbeat miscellanea . These moving-picture show up the stylisation agent by putting their characters in fashionable garb and while adding a plethora of popping acculturation references throughout . This aesthetic option leads to a movie likeAsking For It , which centers flashy message in hopes to get its point across through shocking imagery or boldly compose characters . unluckily , sensitive topics like rapine civilisation , intimate assault , and the proliferation of alt - good propaganda call for a deft hand that is lacking here .
The picture is by no means ugly . IfAsking For Itwere a thriller that focalize on a gang of women just go living in the margins of social club without the lofty ambitions of tackling rape culture , then the aesthetic might have work on . However , with niggling oversight , O’Rourke presents viewer with a flick that can not handle poise its stylistic approach with an important message , which results in a tonally confusing and overdone lot . The independent downfall is the film has committed the fundamental sin of placing a lid on top of a lid . In shining a light on the sink of rape polish the plastic film has a clear objective for the Cherry Bombers . But with their targets being two masses representing two different , yet evenly horrific , billet , it diminishes the impact of the story . ask For Itwould have done better with a concise handwriting that does n’t just suggest at larger issues — issues beyond these characters ' grasp .
The film could have been a more intimate battle between the gang and the local sheriff ( who is the incarnation of the evil they wish to vanquish from the world ) . There is also the minimal mien of Lily to consider . As a burn dupe , she represents a hatred criminal offence that has been gain traction globally in recent class . The film could have easy flipped the narrative to focus on her and have the story revolve around taking down the “ men ’s rights ” leader who encourages that sort of violence . in the end , the film is lacking in focus , spread itself too thin to underwrite much of this wide , interconnected , and intersectional take .
While the picture may have fumble the musical theme and fibre , there is no dubiety that some will notice it thought - provoking enough , and its kinetic , bombastic energy engaging . It does have the katharsis of women reclaiming their bodies , time , and power from institution and man who deem them worthless . The cast is fill with notable fan - favorites who do a lot with the poorly execute script they are cave in . Clemons , Shipp and Hudgens ' execution are deserving noting , specially as they have the most effective bearing in the plastic film . Asking For Itis not without some merit . The idea are crucial and carry the motion picture through to the ending , but it ’s the overall execution that countermine the good it ’s attempting to accomplish .
Asking For Itis a pop music - rock take on the revenge thriller that stress to take a position , but fails to make a casing for why it exists . Asking For Itoften feels like a mansplaining version of what a forward-looking revenge thriller should be . For how utmost the threat are , and for how little overstatement is involve to create them , the photographic film is miss the key constituent : Three - dimensional leads .
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Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, and Kiersey Clemons in Asking For It
involve For Itopens in theaters , digital , and on - need on Friday , March 4 . It is 101 minutes foresightful and value universal gas constant for worrying and vehement content , intimate textile , nakedness , and language throughout .
Vanessa Hudgens in Asking For It
