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Initiation (2020 film)

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Initiation
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Berardo
Written by
  • John Berardo
  • Lindsay LaVanchy
  • Brian Frager
Produced by
  • Brian Frager
  • John Berardo
  • J. P. Castel
  • Lindsay LaVanchy
  • Stephanie Stanziano
  • Jon Huertas
Starring
CinematographyJonathan Pope
Edited byKristina E. Lyons
Music byAlexander Arntzen
Production
companies
Distributed bySaban Films
Release dates
  • October 8, 2020 (2020-10-08) (Screamfest)
  • May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Initiation (stylized as Init!ation) is a 2020 American slasher film directed, co-produced, and co-written by John Berardo, inspired by his short film Dembanger, which described as an edgy slasher about a cruel social media game that twisted out of control and takes place at a university where a masked serial killer is murdering teenagers.

It stars Jon Huertas, Isabella Gomez, Lindsay LaVanchy, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffith, Patrick Walker, James Berardo, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler, and Lochlyn Munro. The film premiered at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival on October 8, 2020. It was released on May 7, 2021, by Saban Films.[1]

Plot

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During a homecoming party, a sorority member named Kylie is found unconscious and alone in a room with three members of Sigma Nu Pi, Beau, Dylan, and Wes. The following morning, she is cruelly mocked on social media. Kylie seeks out help from fellow sorority member Shayleen, who in turn approaches Ellery, another sorority member. Ellery agrees to investigate, particularly as Wes is her brother and he has been previously accused of sexual assault.

Wes is murdered by an unknown assailant and his body is discovered by Dylan and Beau. In the following days, Wes is lionized by the university chancellor Van Horn, who highlights Wes's prowess at swimming and his lost potential. The murder is investigated by Detective Sandra Fitzgerald and Officer Rico Martinez, the latter of whom discovers that Wes's previous case of sexual assault had been covered up by Van Horn. Soon after, Dylan and Beau are also murdered by the unknown assailant.

Ellery attends a meeting with Van Horn, who is angry that she has been investigating the sexual assault. After she leaves the murderer traps Van Horn in his office and murders him. Meanwhile, Ellery has rejoined Kylie and the two witness the murder, causing the murderer to chase after them. The resulting chase ends with the women stabbing the killer, who is revealed to be Martinez, Kylie's father. He had been motivated to murder Wes and the others after learning that the fraternity had committed similar rapes and other crimes, which the university had covered up.

Cast

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Development

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Initiation is based on the short film Dembanger, which Berardo created as a class assignment while he was attending the University of Southern California. The assignment was to create a "short film that dealt with social change". Berardo chose social media after viewing the ease with which people could create a profile on Facebook and how widespread its usage was. The short film explored the dangers of putting out too much personal information on social media.[2]

Berardo wanted to expand the short into a full-length film after seeing the release of the 2014 film Unfriended, but wanted to explore the topic of social media differently. He also wanted to avoid using some of the common slasher tropes, as he felt that they were "inherently misogynistic; a giant man with a phallic sharp thing chasing a half-naked girl who's too stupid to be going out the front door when she's going up the stairs, it's insulting."[2]

Release

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Initiation was originally scheduled to premiere at SXSW on March 13, 2020, under the title Dembanger, but the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] The film had its US premiere at the 2020 Screamfest Film Festival and its off-shore premiere at the 2020 Sitges Film Festival.[5][6]

In June 2020, Saban Films acquired North American distribution rights to Initiation.[7][8][9] The film was released in theaters and through digital and on-demand platforms on May 7, 2021.[10]

Reception

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On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 59% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Although Initiation struggles to balance its gorier goals against the story's social commentary, that added maturity makes this slasher a slight cut above."[11]

Cath Clarke, writing for The Guardian, gave the film a score of 2 out of 5 stars. She described the film as "a trashy, slashy horror movie that takes the issue of sexual assault on campus, removes a few layers of complexity and adds a masked serial killer armed with a power drill", and added: "Kylie, the alleged victim, gets a couple of scenes, necessary for the plot, but otherwise, there’s practically zero interest in what she’s going through."[12] Adam Graham of The Detroit News described the film as "a standard issue horror offering where frat boys and sorority girls are picked off faster than you can set up a game of beer pong." He concluded: "Don't bother trying to figure out whodunnit because the revelation makes no sense."[13]

Gregory Lawrence of Collider was more positive in his review of the film, giving it a grade of A−. He described it as "a unique indie horror-thriller, one with an unprecedented sense of maturity in its filmmaking and thematic aims, even as it gives you the visceral scares you want and need", and concluded: "Initiation is quite the low budget genre marvel, a propulsive yet patient thriller that cares deeply, yet ruthlessly, about its characters."[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Initiation". Screamfest. August 22, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "John Berardo Delivers a Digital Scream with "Initiation"". The Geekiary. October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "John Berardo Discusses His Mystery Thriller Dembanger". SXSW. February 18, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "How Canceling SXSW Because of Coronavirus Affected These Filmmakers". Variety. March 26, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  5. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (September 21, 2020). "Hulu Original Movie 'Books of Blood' To Open 2020 Screamfest Horror Film Festival; See Lineup". Deadline. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "INITIATION - Sitges Film Festival - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya". Sitges Film Festival. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  7. ^ Barraclough, Leo (June 25, 2020). "Saban Acquires North American Rights to Horror Thriller 'Initiation'". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Roxborough, Scott (June 25, 2020). "Virtual Cannes Deals Memo: Day 4". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Oller, Jacob (June 25, 2020). "WIRE Buzz: Psych 2 trailer; Elizabeth Banks leads Magic School Bus movie; Initiation horror". Syfy Wire. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ^ Miska, Brad (May 3, 2021). "Exclusive 'Initiation' Clip Chased Down by a Killer [Video]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  11. ^ "Initiation (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  12. ^ Clarke, Cath (May 22, 2021). "Initiation review – campus horror is more bore than gore". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  13. ^ Graham, Adam (May 6, 2021). "Review: 'Initiation' into this horror movie isn't worth the effort". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  14. ^ Lawrence, Gregory (May 7, 2021). "'Initiation' Review: A Stylish, Welcomely Patient, Surprisingly Incisive Indie Thriller". Collider. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
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