Whiton University unravels the night a star-athlete is murdered, kicking off a spree of social media slayings that force students to uncover the truth behind the school's hidden secrets and the horrifying meaning of an exclamation point.
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Title: Initiation (2020)
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1 nomination.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Isabella Gomez | ... | Kylie Martinez | |
| Lindsay LaVanchy | ... | Ellery Scott | |
| Froy Gutierrez | ... | Wes Scott | |
| James Berardo | ... | Dylan Davenport | |
| Gattlin Griffith | ... | Beau Vaughn | |
| Adin Kolansky | ... | Alvin | |
| Shireen Lai | ... | Shayleen Zhou | |
| Patrick R. Walker | ... | Malik Moore (as Patrick Walker) | |
| Maxwell Hamilton | ... | Tyler Harrington | |
| Bart Johnson | ... | Coach Miles Cooper | |
| Jon Huertas | ... | Officer Rico Martinez | |
| Kent Faulcon | ... | Chief Adam Tahan | |
| Yancy Butler | ... | Detective Sandra Fitzgerald | |
| Lochlyn Munro | ... | Chancellor Bruce Van Horn | |
| Nick Ballard | ... | Tad Rivers | |
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Storyline
During a university's pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school's dark secrets and the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark. Written by Saban Films
Plot Keywords:
one word title | university | university campus | university student | social media |Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong bloody violence, some crude sexual content, drug use, and language throughout | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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Written by Glenn Herweijer, Ben Sumner and Simon James
Courtesy of APM Music
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Filmmakers were so impressed with Patrick Walker, they wrote him into two more scenes. See more »Soundtracks
You Know We PoppinWritten by Glenn Herweijer, Ben Sumner and Simon James
Courtesy of APM Music
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
7 May 2021 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dembanger See more »Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USACompany Credits
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Initiation tries to blend social commentary with decently gory kills in a somewhat ambitious slasher flick. Director John Berardo (co-writing with Brian Frager and Lindsay LaVanchy, who plays the protagonist) doesn't have a complete hold over his material, however, there's just about enough for slasher fanatics to give it a viewing. The elements in favour of Initiation include its progressive storytelling approach (in the #MeToo era), the neat inculcation of social media to disclose important plot points, and at least a couple of intriguing kills. The aspects that didn't work so well include the lack of depth in the characterization of the murder victims, a not-so-effective twist, and leaving more questions open than answered in the end. Nonetheless, Initiation falls in that zone between totally forgettable and cult classic - it's a relatively safe zone as a slasher - but as a piece of cinema, its shelf life may be much less.