The Oath

Some films are not easily classified: Ike Barinholtz's The Oath is just such a puzzle. The prospect of seeing a comedic take on Thanksgiving with current liberal and conservative divisions in many families was tantalizing.

However, The Oath turns into a black comedy at best and bloody Straw Dogs home invasion at worst. Chris (Ike Barinholtz), a liberal, tries to understand why anyone would sign a government loyalty oath (Think Trump's National Loyalty Day, May 1) today in democratic USA. His brother, Pat (Jon Barinholtz) and most of his family, has signed, leading to Chris trying to avoid confrontations with little luck.

With two Citizens Protection Unit operatives arriving unannounced, the contentious Thanksgiving dinner turns into a bloody confrontation between these enforcers of the oath and the growingly isolated, liberal Chris.

For sure there are laughs at the extreme ends of the political spectrum, both sides evidencing ignorance and moved more by the movements themselves rather than deep-seated beliefs. Yet both sides are capable of cruelty and violence, and even Chris and his loving wife, Kai (Tiffany Haddish) are capable of turning on each other.

The animosities are made real by today's polarized politics, so that the absurdist humor can resonate in all its hyperbole. Although the ending should satisfy both sides, and for sure the liberals, nonetheless all sides should be able to fear the extremes to which the citizenry can go and embrace a humanism that doesn't force anyone to turn on family.

After all, it is Thanksgiving, and I feel confident your family will be kind and loving. It's the others you have to worry about.

This dark drama has touches of humor, but also, it's Straw Dogs for political extremists. The Oath is a surprisingly acidic commentary on our partisan culture today.

I'm assuming all the hate for this movie is from Trump supporters, even though it has nothing to do him & nor is he even mentioned in the movie. I enjoyed it, a) because it's the kind of thing that I wouldn't be surprised happening in the US & b) its very reminiscent of what I've directly seen happen to families & friends over Brexit (Well apart from the CPU part of the movie) Ok the acting is pretty naff in spots but overall, it's a good film & it keeps you on edge watching it unfold.

The Oath is an example of a relatively new genre that I suppose we can expect to see more of: the political horror movie. The thumbnail describes it cheerfully as "a man struggles to keep his politically divided family from falling apart over the Thanksgiving holiday." Nuh uh. It's actually a plausible scenario for a fascist takeover in America. Appropriately, it sneaks up on you. It starts out as a light comedy -- a good excuse to munch through a bucket of popcorn -- then seems to veer off course, becoming uncomfortably raw. And then things head south. Predictably some critics have called it out for inconsistency of tone -- missing the point. Billy Magnusson steals the show with a late appearance as an agent for the Citizens Protection Unit.

I thought this was pretty funny. It sorta slides in well with all the political turmoil that is currently taking place. Family gatherings are always a great place to find some dark humor. It's just those moments were you realise that you both love and yet can't believe you have a relationship with people that have such opposing ideas.

I would think that if you are sensitive to political views you may not want to watch this. It may just fire you up. If you don't let that stuff get to you and think it is about time to laugh at all the craziness going on all around us, pick it up.

I just saw this for the first time, and wow. It's a totally plausible scenario for this year. It feels a little toothless, and the characters are a little too on the nose, but it's a quality movie and has it's fair share of laughs. Definitely worth a watch.