Take Back the Night

This movie is so ridiculous I don't even know where to start. When 'The Guardian' run feminist tabloid gives it a 2/5, you just know you're in for an absolute shocker.

The film centers around a women attacked by a monster at night. Then goes on to portray some nonsensical explanations as to how she's not believed.

This all flows under an obvious disguise and allegory, that depicts men as the forever evil that must be bashed at every possible opportunity.

However in faith and much in like reality, the protagonist fails to divulge her facts correctly, forgets and covers herself in plot holes, including her own integrity.

The cast is mostly made of lesbians, and the directors political agenda is shoved in your face.

An interesting premise goes downhill after a promising start. Emma Fitzpatrick is very good as the star here. Jane is an artist with some severe mental problems.

She is at a party where she drinks heavily and takes some unknown drugs and after a quickie in a bathtub, she ventures out into an alley and is set upon by a Bigfoot type of creature who cuts her up. The injuries are thought to be self inflicted by the LAPD, including the requisite lesbian detective.

It becomes more and more unbelievable by the minute as Jane becomes an internet sensation by posting her story with updates on her attack.

The last few minutes are ridiculous and the talented Ms. Fitzpatrick is wasted here. The rating of three is only for her.

Ok so, here we go. I tried reading and looking at some of the other reviews and they're just all way off-key I'm sorry not sorry to say. One talks about the lead protagonist having "severe" mental issues, no she didn't! Her MOM had the severe mental issues! They touch base briefly about her having a stint at a psych hospital but in an interview she elaborates on this as she checked herself in due to stress of losing her mom, even though they also made clear her mom tried to kill her when she was a teenager by attempting to down her. So yeah, MOM had the severe mental disorders, not Jane.

Now that that's all cleared up, on to why this movie only gets 3 stars. I read in a other review that this was an all female written, directed, and even acted movie. There is a "guy" in it if you will, but you never see who he is, she just randomly meets him and bangs him in the bathroom at her art show party and of course he happens to be married. There's a lot and I mean A LOT of female/feminist bias all through out this entire movie. What a shocker right? Written, directed, and a full cast of females? Kinda wouldn't expect anything less am I right?

So I'm going along and the movies not so bad. It touches on real life issues and scenarios that real female victims of assault deal with after the fact. The Evidence Kit that they have to endure, people not believing them, and even the lesbian cop, oh excuse me, "detective" as she likes to point out and correct everyone in the movie through the ENTIRE movie. Yeah that doesn't get old or anything, doesn't believe her.

So, towards the end, the "monster" which I must say is the absolute, worst, garbage piece of you know what CGI monster I've EVER seen in my entire life thus far. It's not even scary looking! In fact, it looks like nothing! It's just this black mass with a mouth, normal flat not scary crooked teeth and three glowing eyes? And the eyes aren't even set, they just kinda blob and float around the empty black mass that's supposed to be this things face I'm guessing? I dunno but it's awful! So just lackluster and lazy and unoriginal and uncreative that it's kinda funny that the protagonist is this local semi famous artist/influencer and yet whoever designed this monster and I use the word designed VERY loosely, clearly didn't and doesn't have a single creative bone in their body.

So, she's running from the "monster" at the end and she's hiding. Well she finally hides in a barrel full of water, don't ask cause I dunno, they're on the rooftop of the building her flat is in, and yeah movies, and she's ready to finally make a sneak attack on this thing, oh, btw she found these old books talking about and describing the "monster" that was after her and it also told her a way to kill it so she had this knife/dagger made that would supposedly be able to kill the monster. Anywho she jumps out of the water filled barrel and raises her little knife/dagger up over her head with both hands, which completely makes her open and vulnerable to attack and guess what happens? That's right she gets attacked before she can do anything, the monster grabs her by her throat and she drops her weapon and the monster proceeds to shove her head under water, just like what her mom did to her when she was a teenager, and holds her there until we are lead to believe she's dead.

Cut screen and now the monster is dragging her lifeless body across the ground as she sputters up some water and magically comes back to life. Also amazingly enough, she somehow managed to retrieve her knife/dagger that she dropped behind her head when the monster grabbed her throat, all while unconscious I might add, AND hold onto it! That's right! She magically had the knife/dagger back in her hand! Only to have the monster step on her wrist and make her drop it again! Are you freaking serious? So not only did you destroy the continuity of what was going on at that point, you destroyed it and then had it lead to nothing?!? At this point I was just done and well in all honesty headed here to write this review.

So, unless you're a hardcore left wing lala-liberal feminist, I'd skip this one cause, it's not even scary and I think it's beyond ignorant what they claim as "horror" movies these days, this being one of those examples.

Take it for what it is - an interesting story line, beautiful authentic acting, and a new way to highlight how women are subjected to doubt based on their past and current actions and how they can lose their support system after sexual assault. This movie is way deeper than it appears and deserves attention and discussion. The director and main actor has a bright future.

Feels like a throw back in a good way -- gritty, edgy, and dark. Not bogged down by high production value, but bolstered by incredible performances (Fitzpatrick especially) and an important message. Perhaps schools should show this to boys in sex ed????????