Beautiful? Can a brutal, vicious, misogynistic film be beautiful? When we discuss early 1970 drive-in cinema, beautiful isn't a word we use. Grainy, exploitation, and depraved are more familiar words for that sub-genre. Still, what Tressa Graves has given us here is a film shot in the style of those early 1970s nasty classics, but with an air of diminutive beauty and cinematic sensitivity. I will even hazard to call Tressa Graves' horrific tale a musical...stay tuned. Inspired, sadly, by all too true events, many of you will be allured by a reality that is a horrible stain in our society.
Michelle (Ashley Foster) is a sultry songstress...or was. We'll be treated midway through this 28 minute film as she tells us her story through song. A few years ago Michelle's world changed. All she desired was to share her beautiful voice and songs with a world so in need of beauty and kindness. In horror, these pristine characters usually meet with slaughter, An evil stalker (Gary L. Minix) attaches himself to her plight. Michelle attempted to fight back using legal means. Unfortunately, when dealing with the criminally insane, those fiends have all the advantages. As the authorities have their hands tied, Michelle is left on her own to either fight back or die horribly. Our pillar of virtue and good is not a fighter, sadly...she's an ambassador of love and femininity. How do you think this will end up?
Michelle's ruined dreams do not strip her of song. We'll hear her and the beauty of her voice and the passion that is narrated by it will make us horrified that an evil fiend could shut her off. Then, and we saw this coming, the empowered monster makes his move. He won't be alone. His buddy (Mike Ancrile) will join him. What they desire to do to the beautiful Michelle is brutal, misogynistic, and perverted. Uh oh...to put an exclamation point on Michelle's humiliation and helplessness, song will also be utilized to tell the story of our vicious antagonist. Alas, Michelle's refuge (in song) is stolen and exploited by her violator.
Does Michelle have a prayer of surviving her stalker? Will our fair damsel be left with any refuge to find comfort in, or will her misogynistic tormentor score a total destruction of our wonderful songbird? Warning: This film by Tressa Graves is a convicting dramatic effort aimed at all of us who allow the evil tones of misogyny to permeate our already broken culture and society. We plead at the silver screen that evil won't win out in "Sociopath," but perhaps we should begin acting to fix a broken criminal justice system and an entertainment culture that perpetuates the kind of evil displayed in this film. See "Sociopath," and think heavily about its messages.
To find out more about moviemaker Tressa Graves and the film "Sociopath," explore her website by clicking on this link: Tressa Graves
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