Review of Society (1989) by Charlene & — 29 Jul 2009

Imagine a show about rich American youths such 90210 or The OC, then add in the sexual deviance and conspiracy elements of Eyes Wide Shut and finally throw in the special effects of John Carpenter's The Thing. Then you may have some idea of what Society is like. Sound strange? Well it is. Very strange.

Made by Brian Yuzna the maker of the Re-Animator films this is a story about paranoia and mistrust in an upper class American neighbourhood. The young protagonist is the popular athletic star of his school but he suffers from constant fear, he's afraid of his family and even his psychiatrist. Then he starts to see things. Weird things usually involving his family. From there on the film just gets stranger and stranger as he starts to suspect everyone in his neighbourhood. Its hard to explain further without spoiling more of the story but I will say this: wait till the end scene, it's so disturbing and yet well made it's worth watching the film simply for that part.

Although the plot is interesting and keeps you intrigued it does a poor job of explaining and delivering itself. It's never very clear or even clever but does have a strong effect of disconcerting its audience. There is also quite a strong anti upper-class message in it which very well may turn some rich people away from watching it. The acting isn't awful but stiff in some parts. The main strength of the movie however is its special effects, scenes of the unspeakably grotesque all conjured up with puppeteering and models, the same clever usage as seen in Carpenter's The Thing, but whereas The Thing is gore filled, Society is less blood and more... well just strange... There is actually very little violence in it and almost no blood at all. And as for the sex in the film, well there's plenty of it but not the nice kind...

I don't always approve of remaking films but I think this film may benefit from one. With a better story telling and a better cast this film would be a lot better. Only problem is if they did a remake you wouldn't get the impressive 80s special effects, they could very well ruin everything by throwing too much CGI into it.

Non the less, Society is one of the strangest films I've seen in a long time.