Gillian – writer, director and protagonist of I Blame Society – tells the audience pretty much everything they need to know about her in the first scene of the film, when she claims that being told she’d make a really good murderer is a compliment, and the perfect subject for her next project. Struggling to get her filmmaking career off the ground in an industry full of douchebag, faux-feminist, gatekeeping ‘broducers’, Gillian decides to make a documentary about her journey into serial killing, committing crimes that start with shoplifting and escalate into violent murder.

Horvat is a hypnotic, curious presence. Delivering a performance laden with irony and the driest of wit, she isn’t afraid to mock and subvert every trope she comes across – a makeover sequence, the ‘likeability’ factor, the strong female lead – and though her acts become increasingly shocking, those around her manage to be so obnoxious that Gillian remains somewhat of an antihero. 

The found footage format allows for a meta playfulness in the camerawork that goes far beyond merely breaking the fourth wall. We see the setup of lighting, second angles, and even Gillian using a makeshift dolly rig to create a steady zoom shot as she’s monologuing, her hand winding a lever to move the camera closer. This deconstructed nature of the film makes the outlandish costuming, startling gore and razor sharp humour feel all the more surreal, and Horvat’s commitment to the concept all the more admirable.

Bold, bloody and bitingly satirical, I Blame Society is a deeply weird example of a woman in film pushing back on everything that’s expected of her, and marks Gillian Wallace Horvat as a fascinating comedic voice. The unsettling, deadpan tone might be off-putting for some – but submit to its bizarre sensibility, and it’s a horrifically entertaining ride. 

RATING: 4/5   

Available to watch on: VOD

INFORMATION

CAST: Gillian Wallace Horvat, Chase Williamson, Keith Poulson, Alexia Rasmussen

DIRECTOR: Gillian Wallace Horvat

WRITERS: Gillian Wallace Horvat, Chase Williamson

SYNOPSIS: An aspiring filmmaker takes her career into her own hands by documenting her aptitude for serial murder.