Goat
- Director: Andrew Neel
- Writer: David Gordon Green; Brad Land
- Producer: James Franco; Robert Halmi Jr.
CGiii Comment
Frat hazing...why? Why would you put yourself through something so degrading? Just to be part of a brotherhood?
Goat relentlessly asks 'why' over and over again...and, never really gives an answer. But, it does - very clearly - show the toxicity and cruelty of this barbaric 'tradition'. It is - by no stretch of the imagination - a comfortable watch. Having had no experience of hazing...it does make you wonder how exaggerated this expose actually is...
Fingers-crossed, it is! Or, there is major cause for concern within the young, being-educated, middle-class, white male establishment...there ain't no people of colour in this fraternity! Is that due to wisdom or an oversight by the director?
There is a clever idea that lingers throughout...violence-for-harm pitted against friendly-consensual-violence (well, that's an oxymoron if ever there was one). And one that has - by the end - a strange and unsatisfying resolution.
For those of you who want gay content...look elsewhere. There is a brief two-girls-making-out scene at the beginning, a liberal splattering of homophobia throughout and an ill-placed, futile scene with James Franco - who, with excessive exuberance, states the importance of 'fraternity'. Then...poof and he's gone!
There are some strong performances - particularly from Ben Schnetzer and Nick Jonas - but, for this film to work, the other characters needed to be less-psychopathic. The 'frat boys' are all instantly detestable - the bankers of the future!
Goat needed to deliver a mighty punch to the solar plexus, grandstanding the fact that these 'frat boys' are the potential leaders of the future, as to their suitability for such roles - we can all but wonder!
Worth watching...to see an 'elite' at its very worst! But - be warned - it ain't a pretty and/or [wholly] satisfying ride!
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Reeling from a terrifying assault, a 19-year-old boy enrolls in the same college as his brother and pledges his fraternity. Swept up in a world of shotgunning beer, all-night ragers, and hooking-up with nameless coeds, a protective shell forms to mask his insecurities. But as the hazing escalates in the name of “brotherhood,” his loyalty to his brother is tested in brutal ways.
Director Andrew Neel’s documentary background is evident as Goat resounds with searing authenticity—rarely has such raw and terrifyingly truthful masculinity been captured on screen. The result exposes the brutal and violent aspects of male culture that lurk beneath the surface of our seemingly controlled society. The entire cast valiantly commits to the challenging roles and, combined with Neel’s assured direction, shine new light on male identity and how it’s formed. Part neorealism, part horror film, Goat is a riveting cinematic experience that is as important as it is brutal.
Cast & Characters
Nick Jonas as Brett Land;
Virginia Gardner;
Ben Schnetzer as Brad Land;
Danny Flaherty as Will;
Austin Lyon as Dave Reed;
Chase Crawford as Goat Boy;
Trent Rowland as Fraternity Brother;
Jake Picking as Dixon Rowley;
Patrick Murney as Jason;
Lauren Knutson as Michelle;
Eric Staves as Ben Baity;
Christina Lambert as Coffee Shop Patron / Funeral Mourner;
Brock Yurich as Wes;
Will Pullen as The Smile;
Gus Halper as Chance