Wonderfully offbeat film!

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Blistering performances.

I'm gonna keep this spoiler-free as I really want to speak to potential viewers BUT I will mark clearly at the very end some spoilers so that you can avoid it. But I wanted to cover that bit a little.So, I gave this a chance despite the low rating as I don't really trust IMDB ratings anymore. I'm really glad I did. This turned out to be a nuanced, complex, and interesting film. I only discovered afterwards that the 22 year old young woman who played the lead also co-wrote it, directed it, and produced and/or wrote most of the songs in it. She is someone to watch as it's so surprising to me that somebody so young could get across such complex ideas.What I loved is there is no Bad Guy/Good Guy-everyone is just human, with good qualities and bad. I don't think the trailer conveyed that. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered which some have complained about, but I still find it satisfying as Miss Shephard gave us enough clues that we can fill it in. Many audiences today prefer not to have to think and ponder and use their imagination, they just want stories with simple plots that tell them everything. I found it wonderful. To wrap up, give this a chance!! Especially if you enjoy unusual indie movies.SPOILERS NEXT. LOOK AWAY IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE!****I loved this ending, I really did. Those last few scenes weave together perfectly. The way it ended with her teacher was fantastic. He showed respect for her and it was obvious on her face that that meant the world to her. She felt valuable. And we are left reminded that even people who make very very poor choices, can have moments of maturity and kindness. Lovely film!

Abigail Grey (Quinn Shephard) reluctantly goes back to school after some troubles. She is bullied by mean cheerleader Jennifer (Trieste Kelly Dunn) and her group. They call her Sybil and slut. New drama teacher Jeremy Woods (Chris Messina) assigns the Arthur Miller play 'The Crucible' to the class. He notices the bullying and gives an important role to Abigail relegating Jennifer as the understudy.This starts with a bit of Heather. It's going on a predictable but still compelling path. Then it goes away from the path. First, there is the classroom scene where Abigail turns the table on Jennifer. It leaves Abigail as an unreliable character. It would work if it fully commits but it simply left me questioning her with no resolution. Next is the journal entry. I would think any girl would take a picture with her phone. The rumor could spread and the plot moves forward. Instead, that plot sorta stalls until the climax. Also the climax introduces something which is left hanging. Overall, there is a lot of interesting work from young new filmmaker Quinn Shephard but it's not quite sharp enough with too many loose threads and not enough payoff.

I love this movie! It's full of twists and turns, and you won't catch your breath until after the credits roll. It's so refreshing to see real teenagers depicted on screen. Each of the characters are interesting and realistic. The best part of the movie is that it's told from the perspective of teenage girls. You become incredibly invested in the girls' drama and find yourself constantly questioning your own morals. The film had a masterful way of slipping incidents past its audience that in any other setting would be inappropriate.

Everything conspired in this movie to surprise, provoke, and delight me. Camera work, directing, acting, writing - subject matter. Blame featured a tight, tense and amusing ensemble cast of young startling talent directed ably with a firm but light collaborative touch that let the actors be real, loose, funny and smart. This movie artfully transcended the possibility of cliché to become archetypal. While Blame might seem to be relevant only to current and recent high school students, its appeal transcends age limitations. I, class of 1977, was transported to the urgency of everyday and every issue in my life at a public high school. This mood, every moment, and the beauty of youth was masterfully captured by the cinematographer. The pearl in this movie, because of the deft skill of every contributor, is that there is no Blame assigned - causality, maybe, but no shame. Life is complicated. And then there's the fact that Quinn Shephard co-wrote (with her Mother), directed, produced, starred in and edited this impressive first work -- without dominating the viewer's experience with her ego. Few can achieve that in any endeavor. How lucky we movie- lovers are to be able to look forward to her career. I personally hope to see Ms. Shephard work with this same cast again. There was magic in it. I will watch for her next project.