Take Back the Night
**Seen at the 2022 Renegade Film Festival.**
One of the things I’ve really noticed over the past few months is a prevalence of social media being integrated into the plots of movies. In the case of “Don’t Look Up,” it fell flat because of how little it added to the narrative. In “Marry Me,” it worked somewhat better because it’s another thing that illustrates the gulf between the lives of the main characters. I cringed when it became clear that social media was going to be a major aspect of “Take Back the Night,” but by the end, it is the most successful of the bunch, because it is fully integrated into the narrative Gia Elliot has to offer.
Jane (Emma Fitzpatrick) is an artist in LA at a big showcase for her work. She is doing very well, and getting plenty into the partying mood, including a quickie with a man in the bathroom. She leaves, but has to go the long way, down alleys one shouldn’t be going down at night. She is assaulted, and the next thing we see, she is walking into the hospital, badly bruised. When she describes her attacker to the detective (Jennifer Lafleur), it sounds absurd, and it’s an uphill climb to get people to believe her.
Elliot’s direction is very raw and a bit jarring to watch- her cinematography relies on a lot of handheld work- and that can make the film tough to watch. Thematically, however, the screenplay by her and Fitzpatrick is stronger, though, in how it paints the worst-case scenario for a woman who comes forward after a sexual assault. This is where the use of social media comes into play. Jane is not just an artist, but an influencer. When she goes online to tell her story, some of the comments are supportive, but many are dismissive, and just insulting to her. Even when she’s able to capture another attack on a live session, some people refuse to believe it; others, however, recognize something in their own histories of assault, and help her. This is where the film really snaps into focus; the film is effective as a horror thriller- and the monster is well designed and imaginative- but as a social commentary, how not only women struggle in a society which is inclined to discuss their mistakes when an assault arises, but also can find a community to help them through it, “Take Back the Night” succeeds beautifully, and could possibly inspire some to think differently on the challenges women face from society.
