Released: 1989
Directors: Brian Yuzna
Running time: 99 minutes
I saw Yuzna’s Society (1989), for the first time in March of this year and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I had seen images of scenes from it online. It’s likely you know the one I’m referring to - a view of someone from behind with a face where their asshole should be? It wasn’t until this spring that it had seriously come across my radar as a must-see. Following a conversation about The Best Body Horror Ever, Society received the most honorable mentions amongst my peers as this very such movie. “I dunno if I ever need to see it again but it was worth a watch.” Good enough for me, my man.
Society is told from the lens of protagonist Bill Whitney. Billy is young, dumb, full of crippling self-doubt, and paranoia. He is the least popular of the cool kids in his class and although not particularly desperate to fit in, he is pressured by his girlfriend and family to do so. Bill, like most teenage boys, is awkward as hell. He stumbles through every social interaction with his peers and is largely distracted by thoughts of sex and girls. He confides in his therapist that he has a growing sense of impending doom only to be met with chiding dismissal. One of Billy’s less popular peers Blanchard attempts to persuade him early in the film that his greatest fears are true: he is an outsider and he is in danger. During this exchange Blanchard shares a damning recording of a conversation had by Billy’s family that turns his world inside out. This is the turning point for our hunky lead. His therapist, family, and the majority of his peers begin to up the gaslight ante as Billy inches closer to the truths of the Society around him. Eventually, Billy is ambushed and committed to the local hospital only to be announced DOA. He escapes the hospital and stumbles upon his vehicle parked and waiting for him outside seemingly unbothered by this obvious trap. Perhaps due to being incredibly high and/or incredibly stressed, baby boy rampages around Beverly Hills desperate to return home and face Society once and for all. Billy does make it home, bringing us to the final act: the party. Learning of his true place, Bill must confront his tormentors and fight for his freedom.
First, let me start by saying that Bill Whitney is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in a horror movie. That mullet. Those short shorts. Them high tops. That sick Jeep. The look of agonizing distress on his face for the entire movie? A standing appointment with a medical professional to navigate his mental health concerns? Unreal. I love it. Bill Whitney is a goddamn prince. I could easily end the review right there and be satisfied but it is worth mentioning the other aspects that make Society worth your time.
Aside from Bill being adorable, he’s a great lead. There’s a lot of hard viewer-based criticism about the acting in Society. Sure, B movie horror isn’t necessarily known to boast the strongest of acting chops but Society is special in that it’s a work of satire. The movie plays on the tropes of the wealthy upper class not to mention the entire thing is shot like a shitty soap or maybe one of those mid-afternoon Lifetime movies. The acting is part of the joke. Additionally, have you talked to a seventeen-year-old lately? Teenage boys are kind of fucken’ bimbos tbh and I’d say that Bill radiates that big Teenage Bimbo Energy very effectively. He’s awkward and hard to talk to, he’s nervous, he’s unfathomably sweaty and is deeply suspicious of pretty much everyone he interacts with. It’s really perfect, honestly. Most importantly, Society does an outstanding job of showcasing the effect of the lifelong gaslighting and emotional manipulation that Billy endures. By the time Billy escapes the hospital he is noticeably batshit-crazy. Perhaps this is as a result of whatever medication he was drugged with but he is certifiably unwell. He is at his wits end. Rather than fleeing the hospital and shifting into an aggressive, hyper-focused sense of survival Billy freaks the fuck out; he breaks. Society has the upper hand. It's an honest and believable response. You don't see a lot of that kind of play. Our leads often tap into this deep well of resiliency and come out of these traumatic experiences on top. Not Billy. Billy's fate is still uncertain by the second half of the movie. Third. The camera work. I found myself surprised by the number of thoughtfully placed shots and effective eye-level shots throughout the movie. There’s a shot of the Whitneys’ front entrance to their home where all the trees frame the edges of the camera in this perfect little frame, forcing your eyes directly to the center. It’s used in a few different scenes: When Bill returns home, the ambulance scene and again when Clarissa arrives at the Whitneys’ for the final act. What I most appreciate about this particular technique is the sense of urgency and secrecy it creates. It’s as if you are literally tiptoeing. You feel obligated to hold your breath so no one close can hear you mouth-breathing in the bushes. I love that. Lastly, it should go without saying that the FX in Society are untouchable. Screaming Mad George - whose work you may remember from the Nightmare on Elm Street series and other sick jammers like Big Trouble In Little China - is responsible for dredging the muck of Society into the house. George can do no wrong in my mind quite frankly. The practical effects used in this movie are like no other. Without them, it’s possible that this movie could very well be a made for TV dramas as mentioned earlier. A potentially lesser-known fact about Society as well includes that Yuzna and George drew inspiration for the most notable scenes from Yuzna’s nightmares, personal art projects of George’s and other art pieces by unhinged homies like Salvador Dali. I wonder what Yuzna was so afraid of? It took a lot of encouraging self-talk to psych myself into watching Society but I’m glad that I did. As a whole, Society is an awesome thriller that plays on our less than loving underlying “I am” feelings: I am different. I am an outsider. I am worthless. It perpetuates fears and insecure thoughts that most of us have done a careful job of hiding. And perhaps more to the point, the timing of watching a movie about the wealthy upper class couldn't be more perfect. I couldn't think of a more concise hyperbole to inspire us to question the status of the elite and super-rich; naming them for the parasites they truly are. Although made some thirty years ago, Society continues to serve as a persuasive piece of satire worth considering in these unprecedented times. Don’t get me wrong - the final moments of this film are damn gross. There’s a lot that I am confident I never need to witness again. But with that in mind I had gone into this movie with a preparedness to face endless amounts of stringy cum and sebum. Yuzna however aced the steady build-up to the final party scenes in such a way that I noted an increasing sensation of stress and overall anxiety - which is uncommon for me! This slow-burn made the movie’s conclusion that much more impactful and long-lasting. I can’t remember the last time a movie fucked me up so ruthlessly. While I will not watch this movie with you, nor will I even offer to, I can make two recommendations prior to your first viewing:
1) Do not watch this movie while eating dinner and
2) Do not watch this movie with someone you are at all interested in making out with after (unless you are a Tru Freak™).
Comments