It seems that over the past few years that one of the best
companies to find the more eclectic and delightfully horrific titles to come
out of the low-budget and micro-budget film world has been Wild Eye Releasing.
If you've seen titles like Disco Exorcist, Blood Soaked and The Electric Chair
you know exactly what I'm talking about. Recently they've released a film that carries
what is an unquestionably very topical and relevant problem that troubles so
many youth across the world, bullying.
The premise for All American Bully is
somewhat unique here as you have two young men (played by Daren Ackerman and
Alexander Fraser) who were friends when they were very young. Like many kids
though as they hit their teens, they grow apart. John (Ackerman) begins to initiate
some really nasty bullying to Devon (Fraser) and his friends. It seems that
John's hostility goes a little deeper though to a humiliating incident from
several years earlier. Something so embarrassing to John, that as a way to
fight back, Devon takes to social media thanks to the urging of his friends.
While momentarily satisfying, this opens up some horrible events that happen
later.
The acting overall is ok and I did like
how the social media aspect was utilized in the story. My biggest issue though
with the movie is that the acting seems forced and overly melo-dramatic. This unfortunately
takes away from what could have actually been a pretty powerful story. Friday
the 13th fans may gravitate towards the film as it has the original movie's
star Adrienne King playing a small role as the principle of the school the kids
attend.
Wild Eye and the All American Bully
producers have included some extras once you're finished watching the film that
include trailers as well as interviews All American Bully is a nice enough
effort by writer/director Jason Hawkins for a micro-budget drama but sadly it
doesn't quite hit the mark for this viewer. Worth a watch but that’s about it.
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