Complicity

A group of high school kids attends a party and quickly finds that they are tested on every moral level they know. Faced with the guilt or innocence of a boy accused of rape, the group exacts their vengeance and accidentally kills him. Now confronted with the reality of their actions they must decide to what lengths they will go to protect themselves. After making the most difficult decision of their lives they proceed to hide the evidence of their crime. But just when they think all is finished they are faced with the most difficult decision yet, the life of an innocent girl.

Review by Ed Blackadder, Lead Entertainment Writer

“One of the finest indie thrillers I’ve seen this year…We start off in a classroom with a bunch of kids watching the clock, and Shannon has a party planned as her parents are spending the weekend away. The house quickly fills; music sounding everywhere; booze is being downed, then Shannon sees her friend Kim, run into the bathroom. Kim (Heather Hemmens) is badly shaken, and tells Shannon (Shoshana Bush) she was raped by loner, Dylan (Josh Janowicz). The party is over; everyone is kicked out, and the few that remain attack the boy. He continually denies it happened, but they accidentally kill the quiet outcast, and now fight amongst themselves over who should be blamed. They finally agree that self-preservation is their only option. To enjoy this properly, it’s best to know as little as possible.

“Complicity started off like so many movies about teens deciding to have a party, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t think it was gonna be much good based on what was happening at the beginning of the party, as one walking cliché after another appeared. Well, I was very wrong, and gladly so. It appeared to have been a ruse by the writer/director of this amazing movie, C.B. Harding, as his direction was extremely good, and had me riveted in no time. Harding showed some skill by having me feeling one way about the entire situation, then another. We were posed ethical questions that were very thought-provoking, and had the actors to bring it all to life. I think it was that everything was done so well, that helped make this psychological thriller work as well as it did, and was also, just so unexpected.”

Ed’s Grade: A