The emotional and physical trauma effects of a rape on a young woman is the through arc in the new feminist drama WHAT SHE SAID.
For a PhD candidate, Sam (Jenny Lester) , the last year or so has been taken up for the most part with pursuing a man who raped her during a drunken night in the dorm. Debating whether to continue with the charges amidst the uncertainty and consequence of the choice she has made to bring justice, she retreats to her family home in the country, where siblings and friends check in with her.
However, it is clear that this is a catalyst for more than her own emotional question marks, as those around her are seeking answers to their own well-being and importance that have been indirectly affected by Sam’s own reluctance to confront not only the trial, but her own personal demons….
A rarity in its’ sensitive handling of an uncomfortable subject matter, WHAT SHE SAID, directed by Amy Northup from a script by Lester, taps into some important and significant perspectives at a time where the #MeToo and #TimesUp initiatives are continuing to gain ground and paving a way for a new perspective on gender requirements. Films like DEATH WISH (1974) and THE ACCUSED (1988) tended to use the act of rape in, respectively, an exploitative and visual reference, but here the film refreshingly goes deeper with the more emotional stakes implied from power of suggestion.
It is a slight piece of work considering the broader emotional questions and there is much more to explore in the context of what the film-makers intend, but it is a passable point of reference if you are looking for a movie that looks at the emotional rather than sexual context of rape.
Overall, though, this is about the power of love and friendships when a major challenge in life impacts and presents itself to us on our individual journeys.
WHAT SHE SAID is now available to purchase or rent on key digital platforms:
