GTFO: Get the F&#% Out

The one star reviews are written by the same misogynistic, small minded, sexually frustrated males that tormented some of the women covered in this documentary. Absolutely shameful how uneducated men will go out of their way to abuse and silence the voices of intelligent women.

Watch this movie, share it, this story needs to be told from a woman's perspective, not from that of a sexually frustrated passive aggressive oedipal male.

Anita Sarkeesian specifically has generated some of the most insightful, well researched and well timed criticism of modern culture, specifically into how video game culture denigrates women in their portrayal but also how the 'Gamer' community can subject women to a hideous level of abuse. The more this story gets told, the more something will be done to rectify this deplorable dynamic. One can only hope.

You need to keep an open mind while watching this documentary. Remember that people are just stating their opinions, and try to value them. I personally did not agree with all of the statements or world views portrayed, but still think it's important to hear them.

Unfortunately it is very easy as a guy and especially if you are a gamer to become infuriated by some of the arguments (or the mere sight of Anita Sarkeesian). But if you are able to get past that you might actually discover that there are many valid points being made.

I love gaming and video games and I think everyone should be able to enjoy them, man or woman. I would hate to be told I cannot do the thing I love because of my gender. That is why I think people should give this film a chance. Perhaps next time you meet a female gamer in lobby or forum you will think twice before casually making a sexist joke or comment.

On a technical level, this film is awful. The video and audio quality are absolutely horrendous. This is absolutely unacceptable for any film of any budget. So, why 4 stars then instead of 1 star? 2 for the actual content and another 2 for the editing, which I thought was decent. The animations were cute. If this movie were more well-presented I'd rate it higher, but I just can't look past the technical issues, I'm sorry. Avoid, you can find better videos on this topic on YouTube.

It's a documentary that demonizes gamers and is written with little to no knowledge of the medium. Very little is factual and it goes out of it's way to paint those who oppose said ideas as awful human beings. Not to mention it pretends to take offense for those who aren't offended. Steer clear at all costs

Hours and hours of online video have been devoted to the topic of sexual harassment towards women in the video game community, but Shannon Sun-Higginson's trim 76-minute documentary appears to be the first actual movie dedicated to the matter. The film reviews, analyzes, and comments on a wide range of relevant subjects with impressive clarity and calmness. While not bombastic enough to be a true blockbuster documentary and unlikely to dislodge opinions firmly moored against it, the movie nevertheless triumphs by summarizing a very complex social situation and presenting it in an accessible manner.

It's important to know what this movie *isn't.* It isn't a platform for media figures like Anita Sarkeesian, Brianna Wu, or Zoe Quinn to promote their ideas. If the combined screen time of Sarkeesian, Wu, and Quinn exceeds five minutes, I'll be surprised. It's also not focused on the Gamergate controversy - a subject which the filmmakers tack on during the film's final three minutes, pointing out that harassment in gaming is too large an issue to encompass with one spectacle. Instead, the documentary focuses on a host of subjects that includes cyberbullying, the perception of female game-players, the historically isolated nature of the game development world, the "boys' club" mentality, and an analysis of online and in-game harassment.

The movie does a fine job of disseminating its intricate subject. Its overall approach is holistic, but it doesn't ignore the troubling symptoms of the phenomenon. The filmmakers are aware that understanding is paramount to addressing this problem on a practical scale, so this is not the fist-in-the-air, marshal-the-troops display of militant feminism that some might expect. A sound weaving of narratives gets across this one's message, which is essentially that not only is harassment of this sort prevalent, it's based on firmly-established cultural norms and produces effects not limited to a handful of spiteful comments on Xbox Live. Longtime followers of this trend may not find anything groundbreaking in the information presented here, but the movie may be the best vehicle for presenting these ideas as a package.

On a technical level, the film maintains a rolling pace but nevertheless bears some less-than-perfect qualities. There's an overabundance of repetitious stock footage (forgivable and limited to the first half of the film) and the audio of some of the interviews is a little hollow. Viewers who dismiss the movie out of hand may cry foul at every point expressed, but the only problematic instance I noted is the framing of Miranda Pakozdi, who presents her experience of the infamous "Cross Assault" event differently than the filmmakers do.

Despite its serious subject matter, the movie is not pessimistic. Much of the runtime highlights positive developments, including the influx and encouragement of female interest in game design, the fostering of supportive communities like GirlGeekCon, and growing male awareness of the matter. When the film ended, I felt optimistic and energized, which is probably the way the filmmakers intended me to feel.

A certain number of viewers will have absolutely no use of this one. If you're already well-informed on the matter, then there's nothing here for you to sink your teeth into. However, I do recommend this one to general audiences who are fine with the subject matter and occasional profanity. There is a ton of information here and this is probably the easiest way to receive it.