A group of friends in Florida who are tired of being mistreated by an extremely aggressive member of their friend group feel as though they have no choice but to kill Bobby Kent, the aggressor. ‘Bully’ is based on a true story and comes from controversial director Larry Clark.
Clark often works in this style of graphic realism. He frequently showcases drugs, sex and violence through the eyes of teenagers which is interesting in theory but his films often lack the layer of sincerity they need.
Clark seems more interested in showing these controversial subjects than saying anything about them. His style tends to be based more around shock value than true realism. In this case, the writer saves him.
Writer David McKenna crafted a script with dialogue that feels incredibly natural. The actors are all teenagers or 20-year-olds and none of the performances feel like a typical child actor’s delivery. These performances paired with McKenna’s writing make the characters come to life. It’s a film that completely immerses you in its world.
However, the script is not perfect. The characters’ immediate solution is to kill their aggressor and they do not need much convincing. This creates a pacing issue where the first 30 minutes feel rushed and lose focus. The film is only an hour and 43 minutes so this pacing issue is resolved quickly but it does feel like something is missing from the screenplay.
With another 20 minutes, the characters could have been given a chance to develop before the murder plot begins. After the first 30 minutes, it begins to feel a little more natural and becomes a slow-burn narrative as the group discusses their plan.
The lead, Brad Renfro, who was only 18 at the time, does an incredible job playing a character who feels genuinely troubled. As the narrative progresses, he stays quiet and almost disappears into the background at times despite being the main character but his presence is always felt. Renfro’s character, Marty, has some disturbing scenes that will affect the viewer greatly.
Marty’s girlfriend, Lisa, played by Rachel Miner, gives a similarly chilling performance. These two leads had the difficult task of playing characters who are sympathetic yet commit a heinous act of violence. Their characters are quiet which allows the actors to shine through their physicality. Both Miner and Renfro perform in many scenes with body language and facial expressions alone.
The world is brought to life further by the look of the film. It was shot on location and this choice adds a lot of detail to every scene. The characters are never on a soundstage, they are performing in the humid Florida weather. Every scene shows characters covered in sweat, delivering truly disturbing dialogue.
These technical choices all come together masterfully. It’s a harrowing watch and will shock the viewer at times but it is excellent. Despite the few flaws that it has, Clark’s ‘Bully’ is a film that must be seen.
Benjamin Martins can be contacted at
bmartins@kscequinox.com
