ASKING FOR IT: Demand More

There is far from a shortage of revenge movies. Someone wronged looking for a way to even the score, usually through escalating violence and action. No matter the lead, vengeance is always the focus. And while female-driven movies of revenge and evening the score are far from new, since the #Metoo downfall of those in power around the world, narratives of revenge and feminism have hit an all-time high –  so much so, the idea is running its course. Sadly, this is the case for Eamon O’Rourke’s Asking for It.

A promising potential in its premise, Asking for It succumbs to the cliches that plague female-driven revenge films, giving little depth to its central characters and failing to conjure the empathy needed to carry audience compassion to the end. Yet, while as a film it struggles, Asking for It delivers an intriguing structure and premise that may have found a deeper and more fulfilling success as a miniseries. Because by the end of the film, I was asking for more.

Demand More

The opening of Asking for It is intense – the possibility of its existence in reality too close for comfort. And that is how Asking for It wants you to feel from the moment the movie begins – uncomfortable. As we watch men escalate in action and rhetoric their need and desire to dominate women and take the power back, there is a resonating feeling of hate and disgust emulating from their testimonials. As we discover, their voices are part of a new movement of men named MFM  – aka Men First Movement.

Led by Mark Vanderhill (Ezra Miller), his creation of the movement reads as an opportunistic moment for fame and notoriety, his followers capture deeper darkness hiding in plain sight. As the film continues, however, the fame-driven nature of Vanderhill shifts and molds to match that of his followers, where rhetoric becomes doctrine. As his words lead to testimonials, visuals and propaganda are intertwined to incite violence and hate. From the very beginning, it is clear Vanderhill is enemy #1.

Immediately contrasting this brutal display of misogyny, viewers are brought to the peace and tranquility of small-town living, a young girl happily making her way to work on her bike. As she waves and acknowledges those around her, there is the feeling of safety and innocence, one Joey (Kiersey Clemons) carries through her interactions with customers and with a long-time friend that comes to visit at the diner. The brutality of the beginning effectively creates the peaceful environment around and the nature of Joey – one it needs to build in order to break her down.

And break her down it does. As Joey awakens in her room to the memory of being raped by her long-time friend Mike (Riverdale‘s Casey Cott). As Asking for It tackles her mental and emotional struggle through a brilliantly crafted montage representing her day in and day out means of survival, viewers are made aware that the incident is consuming her. And just as she seems to be reaching her breaking point, help from the most unlikely of places shows her a way to set it all right.

Not the Right Note

From its intense opening, and through most if its first act, Asking For It breaks from the narrative to interject a series of sharp and slicing visual montages introducing characters, the fast-paced editing is meant to give a sense of personality and a style to the film. And while initially effective, it does become tiresome. This is compounded by how many times it is needed, given the multitude of characters it introduces and interacts with. And while it is supposed to give style and energy, at times it creates the opposite effect, dragging the film rather than giving it a character-induced pulse.

And while its occasional continuity issues can be overlooked, what is hard to ignore is the film’s need to compress into an hour and 40 min film. Where I mentioned the film dragged due to the overuse of visual montages, the reverse happened with its oversaturation of characters. Asking for It suffers from its inability to connect with its audience and draw enough compassion to justify its actions. It was in these characters, however, I yearned for more time. With its visual montages, various characters, revenge missions, and outside effects Asking For It has the most promise in recent years for an adaption to a miniseries.

Where Joey is the central figure, there are so many moving parts around her, her character alone experiencing an immense growth through the film. And where other characters seem to have the promise of growth and depth, their lack of full inclusion and attention leaves them hollow. I wanted to know more about the history of each of the girls, how they became a part of the group, how it was created, and what was each person’s driving force. While not everyone’s story may have been the point, the concept would have been richer for it.

The Ends do not Justify the Means

While Asking for It struggles, it is the most recent film to tackle the idea of inciting fear rather than violence as a form of revenge, as well as tackling the validity of one’s own right to take matters into their own hands – that even women vigilantes are just as morally questionable as to their male counterparts. In Promising Young Woman, there is the sense of not initiating violence, but rather creating fear through creating a situation one can call another out on. And while her harmless actions take a more violent turn, later on, viewers still feel compassion, still found themselves rooting her on.

Asking for It is similar, the girls seemingly creating fear rather than violence. When they run into a man throwing his girl repeatedly to the ground, they take him on, holding him at bay in order to smash up his car. A car he clearly has more feelings for than the girl he is with. And while they threaten more if they catch him again, Regina (Alexandra Shipp) explains that it is good for men to fear women.

As the revenge escalates, Asking for It is not afraid to question the behavior of the woman, even capturing the prospects of going too far. By the end of the film, we are not left rooting them on as much as we are left to consider whether either side should behave in such a way. That no matter the sex, this behavior is questionable rather than excusable.

And in its final moments, it is also brave enough to acknowledge that the fight to even the score will never end – justified or not.

Conclusion

While Asking for It does find its feet by the second and, especially, third act, it is more of an action thriller intrigue rather than an investment in the characters. Too many questions are left, ones that a different medium many have allowed for more time and structure to answered. And while the film has its struggles, its central cast does not.

Keirsey Clemons shines, her character retaining that pure innocence from the film’s beginning, yet embracing the pain, confusion, and alterations her experience gives her. Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens work with what they are given, solidly placing the vengeful group into reality, both their performances speaking to their character’s lingering pain and push for justice. Their performances truly drive viewers to question who the justice is for – the victims or for themselves.

It’s a weird feeling to finish a film, finding that you want more and feeling that the current take did not live up to the promise. Asking for It had the potential, but too much to tackle to provide the depth of character and narrative to drive true compassion. In the end, more of a thriller than a deep thought piece, Asking for It will leave you asking for more.

Have you seen Asking for It? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Asking for It will release March 4, 2022 in theaters and on VOD!

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