The Subject (I) (2020) User Reviews

Wokeness gone awry

[MovieCriticOnline · 1/10 · 22 October 2021]

What did I just watch? Seriously, what was it? It's like they took a bunch of woke tweets and made a movie out of it. Why on Earth did Jason agree to act in this? He wasn't right for this at all and a bad script didn't help. The "documentary" was so poorly executed. I know it was a low budget, but a low budget doesn't mean.

They included every stereotype in this film. This was like a youtube web series.

The scenes went on too long and were unengaging. It was just unbearable to watch. Please no more woke films. There have been done and done much better in the past. Time to make f=some fun movies again.

Boring, Uneventful, and Forced plotlines

[blobzy · 3/10 · 23 October 2021]

This movie is objectively not good. It is basically just a film student's big dreams of having a grand movie about racial divide in America and the morality of documenting people in suffrage. But then you disfigure that idea and make bad casting calls along with awful writing.

The movie has plot lines which in essence make zero sense. The casting feels forced, along with the writing. The entire ambience of the film is trying to really jam in how the main character is benefiting off a black teen's death but never really taking into account that the entire situation is basically completely out of the main character's control. He is attempted to be played off as a standard white male with clear insecurity issues but instead played off as an insufferable rich film student who "went to school for this" as is humbly stated several times. I can't really tell what the goal of the movie is other than movie critic bait for having such a "diverse" cast and "important" writing.

To anyone who isn't a paid critic or your standard film student critic trying to feed his own ego off an objectively bad movie, the writing is bad. The main character makes questionable decisions particularly involving a three year relationship he is in. There is no real way to put it, the movie is just objectively bad. The cinematography is pretty solid, the way the documentary to actual cinematic scenes contrast is great but the writing kills the movie and any potential it had to actually be worth something.

TL:DR

This movie makes zero sense and should not be watched under any circumstances, it's standard wannabe "white man meets black culture" garbage.

Do You Still Look At Me As Art???

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 7/10 · 3 August 2022]

I found this movie compelling. It was a mix of racism, greed, selfishness, and a lot of what is wrong with society in the US today. There really is a lot going on in this movie. Of course it won't be for everyone. It's definitely not for non thinkers who are more likely to appreciate the Marvel Comics movies.

Some really good performances here all around. 7/10.

He's staying in his lane

[kay_rock · 2/10 · 31 August 2022]

Jason Biggs, who has made a career out of playing self-absorbed, extremely misogynistic characters, hits his sweet spot here in playing a self-absorbed, extremely misogynistic character.

I think the point of the film is to feel bad for him as he almost experiences some emotions and surprise at the fall-out from his entitlement, in an "it's hard out here for a pimp" kind of way. He vacillates between bafflement and hurt-puppy-pouting (punctuated with begging "Just LISTEN to me, ok?") in his quest to be told that either his actions should not engender guilt, or they were so justified by his personal needs that there should be no consequences. And hey, he maybe learned something (about himself, of course), and he had an honest-to-god echo of a FEELING about it. That's a character arc, right?

There are some people who will really identify with this character, and who will be offended that others don't. Because to them, he is not only normal, he is the standard for American Values, and hey, he's a guy. And it's hard out here for a guy.

I'm not one of them.

Here. Have a tissue.

Should be required viewing

[beccaburnett · 10/10 · 25 October 2021]

This film is smart and hard to watch in all the right ways. Writer Chisa Hutchinson does what she does best: asks us to look at the ugly side of ourselves we would rather not face while also somehow finding unexpected moments of beauty. The actors execute the thought-provoking script to perfection. It's not an easy watch, but it's gripping and important and well worth your time.

Extraordinary

[mermunyc · 9/10 · 28 October 2021]

This movie was honest and nuanced and heartbreaking in all the right ways. The performances were extraordinary.

My family and I talked about this film and the issues it addresses for days afterwards.

Smart, insightful, timeless

[cgburney · 10/10 · 25 October 2021]

Sharp writing and focused acting make for a compelling film that is both of our time and timeless. Thought-provoking in the best ways- and with substance that is intentional and not didactic. This film provides great topics for ongoing and necessary discussions.

Good film

[mjanssens26 · 8/10 · 18 September 2022]

This is a good film about a bunch of flawed characters where someone ends up dying. We are left to decide who's to blame for the incident and whether or not that person could have stopped the death from occurring.

The actors are all great and give fine performances and though it's a lower budget film, the productions values are good. Saw this on Tubi and wasn't going to watch it but decided I'd give it ten minutes to hook me. The movie ended up having me hooked right up until the end. Jason Biggs was great. I didn't find this movie to be woke at all. The film is about guilt and forgiveness, not wokeness.

Exciting, gripping, and provocative!

[Colleen-3 · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

Compelling characters and a wild situation that opens up Pandora's box. A meaty watch, smart and ENTERTAINING. Solid acting, looks great -- I'm glad I checked it out.

Loved this film

[gsantonas · 8/10 · 10 January 2021]

I was so impressed with this film. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was extremely heart felt and engaging. I liked the mix of documentary style and cinematic. It was beautifully shot. The writing was really good as well as the score. I hope this does well and many people see it. I think it is extremely poignant for these times.

We all know who's rating this low

[jordan2240 · 8/10 · 23 August 2022]

The rating for the film is criminal. I almost didn't watch it because of the low rating, and we would have missed an excellent production. This isn't 'woke', it's not addressing the 'liberal agenda', it's not anti anything. What it is is a very interesting film with a unique plot and fantastic performances. By far the best film I've likely ever seen with a below 5 rating on IMDB. Highly recommended.

This film is made for this historic moment.

[kpeck-30868 · 9/10 · 17 June 2021]

The Subject is an intimate close up of much that we as a country are grappling with. Privilege, whiteness, exploitation, morality, hope, despair, class, race, etc. The menu is expansive, and it raises important questions. Will anyone get what is deserved? The final scene is riveting and tragic and human and hard to watch. You may want to avert your eyes, but don't!

Good Film - Worth watching

[handerson-02405 · 8/10 · 12 September 2022]

Well acted and good story line. Thought provoking. Characters are believable. Interaction is intense. Film shows how our actions may produce unexpected and unwanted tragic results. Sometimes we don't know our small actions may be momentous for others. A depicted in this film, most Americans will never experience the hopeless and dead-end existence, that many people are forced to endure, through no fault of their own. For some of us the film may create a better understanding or perhaps motivate others to do something. Although I suspect most of us will shrug our shoulders and do nothing.

This film is Not for people or nitpickers who like car chases and zombies.

A moving, thought-provoking, and beautifully made film

[srobbins-38476 · 10/10 · 26 October 2021]

Written and directed with wit and heart, this film surprises and engrosses. What constitutes exploitation? What is it really to be an ally? Where is the boundary between art and activism? Who has the right to tell whose stories? These and other provocative and timely questions are explored inside the riveting and very human journeys of the main characters. Suspenseful, brilliantly acted, and directed and edited with style and beauty, this is the best Indie I've seen in years. A theme that could easily have been polemic is instead meaningfully and movingly examined inside a suspenseful thriller that provides no easy answers and satisfies in every way.