RUN HIDE FIGH

US, 2020, 90 minutes, Colour.

Isabel May, Thomas Jane, Radha Mitchell, Eli Brown, Ollie Sholotan, Treat Williams, Barbara Crampton, Cyrus Arnold.

Directed by Kyle Rankin.

This action thriller is tough going. In fact, many audiences have found it too tough, distasteful. The title refers to how one should cope with an aggressive situation.

This is a film about high schoolers but different from the ordinary films rather, echoes of Gus van Sant’s Elephant, and issues of school shootings.

The film focuses on Zoe, Isobel May, hunting with her father, Thomas Jane, her relationship with her mother, Radha Mitchell. However, most of the action takes place at school, relationships, but for young students, armed, attacking fellow students, killings, hostages, confrontation with the principal, his death, the security guard.

At the centre is a vicious and vengeful student, a megalomaniac.

There are many scenes of action, confrontation, students fleeing, innocent students killed. However, Zoe uses her ingenuity, works with the local authorities, eventually confronting the megalomaniac and leaving him to bleed to death.

Strong technical qualities but a confronting reminder of the number of school massacres over the years in the United States, the inadequacy of gun laws, vengeful motivations.

1. The title, indication of the narrative?
2. The action taking place over one morning, the scenes at home, the right to school, Prank Day at school, the students gathering, the pranks, the teachers? The invasion of the cafeteria, the siege, the killings? The rescues, the police, resolution?
3. The home sequences, ordinary, the hunting, out in the woods? Zoe and the death of her mother, assertiveness towards her father, refusing to accept her mother’s death? Wearing his jacket? Defiance, going to school?
4. The importance of the opening sequence, father and daughter with their rifles, lenses, the shooting of the deer, discussion about its death, the blood, beating it with the rock? Venison, for the family, food? The father seen skinning it? The reprisal at the end with the confrontation with Tristan?
5. The device of having Zoe and her mother appearing, the conversations, the wise advice of the mother, that she died once but that Zoe had her dying frequently, urging her to let go, be at peace, her life, encouraging her during the crises?
6. Zoe, the friendship with Lewis, driving together, banter? The classes, Mrs Crawford, expressing her disappointment? Zoe and her blasé attitude towards finishing at school? The classes, the students, interactions? Her locker?
7. Lewis, bespectacled, friendship with Zoe? Meeting at the cafeteria? The talk, her reaction, the spilling on her clothes, going to the washrooms, seeing Catherine and the roof? Not knowing what had happened, the wounded girl coming into the washroom, dying? Lewis, and the siege, his camera, his followers, having to film Tristan and follow him around?
8. The impact of the attack on the cafeteria, the van, the group, the shootings, killing indiscriminately, with determination, the teacher coming to apologise and his being shot? Catherine going out, to cut the phone lines, the encounter with Zoe, the pursuit, the balloons, Zoe emerging, the fight, turning the revolver, Catherine dead? The reaction of her brother at the news? Her brother, raging, shooting? The other shooter, pursuing Catherine, in the theatre, her taking him, tying him up? His explanation about his being humiliated, naked, mocked? Zoe persuading him to change his attitude, to be remembered better, his return, the rifle, wounding Tristan, his being shot? The brother, pursuing Zoe, her father hearing the news, coming, the rifle, off the truck, shootings the man as he was about to shoot Zoe?
9. The students in the cafeteria, their fears, the shootings? The students in the classroom, the initial reaction to pranks? Zoe and her persistence, Mrs Crawford in the class, Mrs Crawford helping her? The rescuing of the other groups?
10. Tristan, character, megalomania, his mother and the television? His friends? The plan? His arrogance? Treatment of people, shootings, threats? Getting Lewis to film him? The importance of the television, numbers of followers? The deaths? Kip coming and shooting, his relying on the explosives? Zoe, the confrontation with him? Her setting the van, out of the cafeteria, the explosion? The students escaping?
11. The irony of her being arrested, in the van, the sheriff apologising?
12. The sheriff, the explosives out in the fields, roadblocks, his deputy going in and being killed? His arrival, trying to deal with the situation, talking with Tristan? The siege, the aftermath?
13. Todd, his relationship with Zoe, the hunt, the antagonism, hearing the news, coming to the school, the rifle, shooting Zoe’s assailant? Being arrested?
14. Lewis, being wounded, Zoe rescuing him, the declarations of love?
15. The aftermath, Zoe seeing Lewis, pursuing him, going to the buried chest, shooting him, the confrontation, his dying like the deer?