Blame (2017)

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 draws parallels to 'The Crucible'.

Director:

Quinn Shephard

Writers:

Quinn Shephard, Laurie Shephard (story by)

Stars:

Trieste Kelly Dunn, Tate Donovan, Chris Messina

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Trieste Kelly Dunn	...	Jennifer
Tate Donovan	...	Robert McCarthy
Chris Messina	...	Jeremy Woods
Nadia Alexander	...	Melissa Bowman
Geneva Carr	...	Mrs. Howell
Quinn Shephard	...	Abigail Grey
Owen Campbell	...	TJ
Tessa Albertson	...	Ellie Redgrave
Marcia DeBonis	...	Ms. Cohen
Sarah Mezzanotte	...	Sophie Grant
Luke Slattery	...	Eric
Michael Jefferson	...	Hallway Teacher
Larry Mitchell	...	Officer Dolan
Michelle Martinez	...	Drama Student
And Palladino	...	Backround

Storyline

Chris Messina stars as a substitute drama teacher whose taboo relationship with an unstable student (Quinn Shephard) strikes a nerve in her jealous classmate (Nadia Alexander), sparking a vengeful chain of events within their suburban high school that draws parallels to Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'.

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Plot Keywords:

male teacher female student sex | jealous teenager | high school | cheer leader | large breasts | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

BLAME instagram BLAME Twitter

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blame

Filming Locations:

Metuchen, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Reel Enigma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was screened at Metuchen High School

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Connections

References The Crucible (1996)

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Soundtracks

Coldhearted
Written & Performed by viLLain
Produced by Uri Bar and Quinn Shephard
Courtesy of South Third Productions

User Reviews

Brilliant debut with an exiting story

A thriller disguised as a character drama. I knew very little about Blame going into it, and that was for the best -- Let it surprise you. This movie is fantastic and so supremely clever. As both a directorial and writing debut, this is a wild success, and to have it helmed by a strong performance from the director, writer, producer, and songwriter herself? Amazing. Quinn Shephard is only 22 and she's already who I wanna be when I grow up.

Every character is granted so much complexity and range without ever causing a stagnant moment in the story itself. The poster gives off the idea that these girls are being pitted against each other, and while the film initially follows that model, we soon see that these characters have far more compassion for one another than we though. Their relationships are so good, and the way they evolve is even better. I didn't expect this to be a story full of twists and turns, but as a high-school adaptation of The Crucible, it's perfectly fitting. The plants and payoffs Shephard weaves into her narrative are satisfying in the most genuine way.

There are perhaps a few moments when Shephard's attention to her character's spreads too far, and we lose sight of our protagonist, but the successes here far outweigh any slight missteps. I don't know how wide of a release this received, but if any of you are able to see this in theaters or on VOD, I strongly recommend it. I love a good high-school movie, and Blame just might be a great one.