Review of The Red Pill (2016) by Pete 1 — 13 Oct 2016

I attended the world premiere screening of "The Red Pill" on 10/7/16 in New York. The move is excellent!

Issues affecting men and boys - plus the men's movement and its long history - could constitute the stuff of an entire series of movies. From the available material, director Cassie Jaye has selected well for a single, introductory feature-length film. The audience was presented with a "capture" of the movement's present moment (with backward glances into the lives of several of its foremost figures) plus some of the most compelling visual-and-verbal narratives about the issues that I've ever seen.

But there was more. In addition to providing the audience with a wealth of thought-provoking (and frequently very moving) content, I was pleased to discover that "The Red Pill" could stand on its own merits as a well-made work of cinematic art - and never mind its shoestring budget. Indeed, the movie surprised me and exceeded my expectations. For example, I have never felt comfortable watching anybody's "video diary" - and I have long regarded the format as a cliché (and usually very dull) that, inevitably, history will come to regard as a pretentious artifact of our times. But while I watched "The Red Pill" and intermittent excerpts from Cassie's "video diary" appeared on the screen, I was spellbound. Not only did the documentarian come through as open and sincere, but these segments served to make "The Red Pill" stronger than it would have been without them. Indeed, I think that many viewers who are unfamiliar with the topics covered by the movie will probably relate to Cassie's feelings and find themselves getting draw into "The Red Pill" in unexpected ways.

Paradoxically, "The Red Pill" was ultimately - for me - a "feel good" movie. Personally, I am unafraid of so-called difficult topics, and when they are grappled with openly, honestly and intelligently, I find that the sorrow I experience in relation to those topics becomes comingled with joy and relief. Moreover, when I witness another person becoming uplifted by truth - as is the case with Cassie Jaye in "The Red Pill" - I feel inspired.

Will other people relate to "The Red Pill," in any respect, the way I do? Time will tell!