'Assassination Nation' Is Simultaneously Cluttered and Interesting

In a typical American town called Salem live best friends Lily Colson (Odessa Young), Sarah Lacy (Suki Waterhouse), Bex Warren (Hari Nef), and Em Lacey (Abra), who are your typical American high schoolers defined by promiscuity, parties, and heavy social media use.  When a series of hacker attacks exposes to the world the townspeople’s deepest and darkest secrets, Salem gets plagued by widespread scandals, paranoia, and hostilities.  Soon, the town spirals into madness and mayhem, and the four friends find themselves not just fighting for their dignity, but their lives.

This is the black comedy thriller film Assassination Nation.  Basically, it’s just another story about mass hysteria – a theme explored countless of times before in different forms (one of the best is The Twilight Zone episode, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”) – but this time, something aptly fitted for the Internet Age.

At the same time, the movie also makes attempts to commentate on several social and cultural issues that American society faces today.  The result is a narrative that has noticeable pretentiousness.  With so many targets that it’s trying to hit, its misses produces quite a clutter.  Fortunately, it’s kept from turning into a dumpster fire by an energetic satirical tone.

On the other hand, the charm from its interesting story concept is ever present.  As far as making something out of its basic premise is concerned – that is, a town devolving into chaos because a hacker unearths and disseminates everybody’s hidden sins – it knocks it out of the park.

Thus, all things considered, Assassination Nation ends up being reasonably fun.