Blame (2017 film)
Blame | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Quinn Shephard |
Story by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Aaron Kovalchik |
Edited by | Quinn Shephard |
Music by | Peter Henry Phillips |
Production company | Reel Enigma |
Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Blame is a 2017 American teen psychological drama film written and directed by Quinn Shephard, who also stars alongside Nadia Alexander, Tate Donovan, and Chris Messina.[1] The film is Shephard's feature film directorial debut.[2] It screened at several film festivals, including at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it was nominated for several awards and won the award for Best Actress in a US Narrative Feature (for Alexander's performance).[3]
Plot summary
A drama teacher's taboo relationship with an unstable student strikes a nerve in her jealous classmate, sparking a vengeful chain of events within their suburban high school that parallel events in The Crucible.
Cast
- Quinn Shephard as Abigail Grey
- Nadia Alexander as Melissa Bowman
- Tate Donovan as Robert McCarthy
- Chris Messina as Jeremy Woods
- Sarah Mezzanotte as Sophie Grant
- Tessa Albertson as Ellie Redgrave
- Luke Slattery as Eric
- Trieste Kelly Dunn as Jennifer
- Marcia DeBonis as Ms. Cohen
- Owen Campbell as TJ
Production
Shephard developed the script for several years. In 2016, after her financier fell through during the first week of shooting, Shephard partially self-financed Blame using money from her college fund and with help from her mother. The film was shot in 19 days in the fall of 2015 in Shepard's hometown of Metuchen, New Jersey.[4]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[5] On Metacritic, the film received a score of 54 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]
IndieWire called it a "solid debut", while writing that, though it "isn't fully realized", it establishes Shephard as "someone to watch".[7] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times described the film as "earnest but underdeveloped".[8] Filmmaker magazine called the film "a poignant and incisive examination of modern American adolescence."[9] The Hollywood Reporter called it "a mixed bag of a directorial debut".[10]
At the Tribeca Film Festival, the film was nominated for several awards and won the award for Best Actress in a US Narrative Feature (for Alexander's performance).[3] Blame was also a featured in the Montclair Film Festival 2017[11] and the Greenwich International Film Festival 2017.[12]
References
- ^
- Nordine, Michael (April 30, 2017). "'Blame' Review: Quinn Shephard Makes a Strong First Impression in Her Debut as Writer, Director, and Star". IndieWire. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- Astle, Randy (April 27, 2017). "Tribeca 2017: Five Questions with Blame Director Quinn Shephard". Filmmaker. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- Laffly, Tomris (May 1, 2017). "TRIBECA 2017 INTERVIEW: QUINN SHEPHARD ON "BLAME"". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- Lang, Brent (April 28, 2017). "Chris Messina on Returning to 'Mindy Project,' His Sexy New Thriller 'Blame'". Variety. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Frosch, Jon (April 23, 2017). "'Blame': Film Review; Tribeca 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ a b "Award Screening: Best Actress, US Narrative Competition: Blame | 2017 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ "After an investor bailed, a 20-year-old filmmaker spent her entire college fund finishing her award-winning debut". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ "Blame (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ "Blame Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (2017-04-30). "'Blame' Review: Quinn Shephard Makes a Strong First Impression in Her Debut as Writer, Director, and Star". IndieWire. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ Kenny, Glenn (2018). "Review: 'Blame' Conjures 'Carrie,' but Without Telekinesis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ Astle, Randy. "Tribeca 2017: Five Questions with Blame Director Quinn Shephard". Filmmaker. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^ "'Blame': Film Review | Tribeca 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
- ^ Clayton Davis (April 3, 2017). "2017 Montclair Film Festival Line-Up Announced". Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ "2017 Festival Schedule". Retrieved March 9, 2018.
External links
- Blame at IMDb
- Blame at Rotten Tomatoes