Rating: ***
Starring: Grace Phipps, Spencer Breslin, Maestro Harrell
Bullying in slasher movies is nothing new when you have films like Evilspeak (1981), Slaughter High (1986), Bad Reputation (2007), Tormented (2009), and Unfriended (2014) flocking around. Each film centers a bullied outcast who will eventually snap and turn their tormentors into mince meat, so what makes Some Kind of Hate (2015) any different? Nothing much, but it did feature some neat ideas.
The film centers around Lincoln, a greasy-haired outcast with a slight temper problem, constantly targeted by bullies from his own alcoholic dad to the gang of jerks at his school. When he decided to fight back and stab one of them in the face with a fork, he is later shipped to a remote desert retreat for troubled teenagers. There, he befriended a few decent people who are really warmed up to him, but he also unfortunately caught the attention of another group of troubled teenagers, who I assume were sent there for being bullies.
Some Kind of Hate 92015) is an interesting take on a familiar premise of bullied outcasts fighting back as, unlike most slasher movies that tackles this subject, it is not the tormented that gets even with the bullies but somebody or something else that has taken interest on them. Much like how the Lord of the Rink from My Super Psycho Sweet 16 (2009) killed off his daughter's tormentors, Lincoln here have Moira, a girl that used to be in his predicament, apparently appearing whenever an outcast wishes their bullies dead. Her purpose is to make sure these people feel the same pain they inflicted upon their victims and she does this in a rather unique way by turning herself in a sort of humanoid voodoo doll that whatever damage done to her (may it be by her own doing or her victims'), it happens to whoever she sets her eyes on.
I find this rather clever as it shows an inescapable cycle of violence that reflects bullying in real life; karma will get to those who deserves it and it will hurt those who are in the line of fire. The only way to escape it is to simply walk away and let everybody be, a philosophy that I believe the main character Lincoln knew all along as while he wanted the bullying to stop, he is willing to do anything to save everybody from a danger he unknowingly brought upon them, even the punks who deserve it.
Thankfully, Some Kind of Hate (2015) didn't try to shove this idea but rather implicated it in a sort of discreet way. While the first half build around on Lincoln and his troubles, the rest of the movie is this fun bloody ride that sometimes delves into slasher clichés every now and then; cops are useless, random victims are plenty to heighten the kill count, and an obvious twist was made somewhere in the midst of the massacre. The only problem with this is that it has its slow moments, especially around the first act focusing on the retreat's bullying issues; Lincoln can be a tough character to feel for as his punk-seque personality may not appeal to everyone and the teenage melodrama he engages in can be a drag. There's also the matter of self-harm being glorified, which is a really messed-up thing to imply in a more exploited manner.
Nevertheless, the film looks beautiful with its desert sceneries, the scores work, and while the CG effects look cheap, the simple make-up and blood effects fit the film's theme and tone quite nicely. At that, Some Kind of Hate (2015) is a decent entry to the bullying-themed slashers, one that has a lot to say and offer while not afraid to play around with a bloody piece of razor.Bodycount:
1 female burned alive
1 male slaughtered offcamera, bloodsplash seen
1 male repeatedly cut, throat slashed
1 male had his throat cut
1 male had his mouth crushed
1 male had his throat cut
1 male had his head beaten
1 female found dead with wrist cuts
1 female found dying from cuts
1 female had her head blown open
1 male gets a throat cut
7 victims seen murdered
1 male burned to death
Total: 19
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