Disrupted - Dark & Disturbing

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Rent it on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube. 

    One of the harsh truths about the human condition is that, despite what we might prefer to believe, people can't actually change. The idea that people can change their general selves to better fit expectations (be they societies, families, or ones' own) is optimistic at best and naive at worst. That's not to say that people can't make adjustments to their judgment for the right reasons and with proper motivations; look to Robin Williams overcoming his drug abuse when faced with fatherhood for proof of concept. However, when people figure out who they believe themselves to be, there's little that can be done to sway them into any other direction, regardless of whatever benefits may be in line for doing so. People aren't generally terrible; they just have too much of a hard time seeing past whatever their brains have been hardwired to want. Also, while it's unreasonable to demand that people change their inner nature for whatever reason, it is not unreasonable to remind them that we can, at the very least, change our perspective and sense of justice for the better. 

    This understanding is almost perfectly embodied in today's film, Disrupted, a dark and mostly cynical observation of modern society and the difficulties that can have dangerous effects on all people. It is everything that Joker tried and failed to be, minus a few questionable creative decisions. 

    Taking place in my home turf (the Bay Area), the story follows a man named Pete (Ron Kaell), a recovering alcoholic struggling to overcome his condition and make amends to those he wronged in the past, specifically his daughter. His addiction spawned after his wife's tragic and brutal murder for reasons that Pete believes were his own fault. It turns out that the killer has resurfaced after a long hiatus and is revealed to be a guy named Harold Price (Geoffrey Lower), a super-wealthy business tycoon who also happens to be a total psychopath with a penchant for inflicting brutal "punishment" onto those who he deems rude or uncivilized. Despite struggling to maintain his job and facing the prospect of becoming homeless due to the impossible cost-of-living situation in the Bay Area, Pete is determined to find the guy who killed his wife and take him down, whatever the cost. 

    Visually, the film boasts some of the most gorgeous cinematography I've seen this year so far. The use of lighting and color is striking and stylized while retaining a more "realistic" feel. It's a fine example of neo-noir. 

    Narratively, it's a different story. On the one hand, I absolutely understand and appreciate where this story is coming from. The film has a series of valid points about people, society, and the many issues we face today. Not the least of which is the utter ridiculousness of today's housing market and cost-of-living imbalance plaguing the Bay Area. Not to mention the lack of incentives for making a genuine effort to better oneself. However, on the other hand, the film seems to offer little in the way of constructive criticism. It points out the flaws in society and the issues with people without offering any ideas for how it can still be improved. 

    The writer seems to be under the impression that modern society is so far gone that the only way to make any kind of decent living, let alone survive, is to simply give up trying to be better and rely upon aggression and criminal-like behavior. This kind of "screw the world" mentality has always bothered me, not because it isn't valid, but because it's too easy. While I appreciate and understand where the writer seems to be coming from, I don't wholeheartedly agree with his conclusions. 

    Even though the film is well made and offers a genuinely much-needed spotlight on the issues with modern society, I can't help but feel as if it's ignoring another essential aspect of the human condition; the ability to recognize our own flaws and persevere through them to better ourselves and those around us. While modern society makes this truth overly difficult to remember, let alone achieve, it is still a part of humanity that deserves to be recognized and encouraged. Maybe that is the ultimate takeaway from this film; choosing to believe that we can still do better than before. 

    I can't say that Disrupted is a great film, but I also can't say that it fails as a relevant commentary. Had the script been polished just a little bit more and the philosophical debate therein been ironed out better, it might have been close to perfect. As it stands, it's a worthy curiosity that could have been better. 

    By all means, check it out. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.