Good concept, poorly executed.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

At some point during the first half of 'Bully' you're going to think about abandoning it. The kids are consistently irritating, banal and two-dimensional, the premise very shaky, and dissonant events in the plot unbelievable. It seems to be heading toward another 'What you did last summer' disappointment.However it's well worth getting over the hump and into the dark and interesting places it takes you. Although the viewer is probably ahead of the game, the kids in the movie don't yet know that it isn't one. We feel dread in advance, which somehow elicits more sympathy and pathos.What was initially fanciful turns out to be incredibly realistic, and that's because (which I didn't realise until the end) it's based on a true story. Things ARE chaotic and difficult to organise into a narrative and the truth has many faces. And the devil is in the detail.Some of the reviews here talk about the gruesomeness and violence. In fact the murder scene is over quite quickly and it's not of the horror genre. The real horror is in the reaction of those involved, as you would expect. Sexual content has been another reviewer issue, but I'm a grown-up and don't see it as gratuitous, more of a illustration of the hedonistic lifestyle. I didn't fully understand that until the end however.The biggest criticism I have is the soundtrack, which makes you feel like it's a film for kids and you shouldn't be watching it. Some of the sounds are intrusive and grating; perhaps that's the point, but I don't think it does the movie any favours. It's not a film just for the teens, although at first it might seem like it. If you like unpleasant surprises, handled well, Bully is definitely worth a watch.

A film that will continuously be in your thoughts for years after viewing it. In fact, it has been sometime since I last watched this, but having stumbled upon it again here, I feel it's my duty to give it the review it deserves. Bully is quite simply, one of the best movies ever made. A sweeping statement I know, but having watched thousands of a similar vein, I can't ever tire of the dangerously hypnotic truth that sets these characters apart from so many. Each living the American Dream, or so they believe, yet their actual lives are thick with angst and desperately torn by insecurities that they fulfil with drugs and sex. Clarke's ability to depict them as the true, purified white trash they are, is a depressing portrait of the teens that fight against the seemingly dull reality of life. We meet Marty & Bobby, friends at heart, yet closer to the shore are signs of detrimental physical and mental abuse. Bobby's battles are somewhat deeper than Marty's, but both live uncertain lives. Bobby's issues are with his father, his sexuality and the claustrophobia that new friends can bring when Marty is no longer his 'best pal'. Then in comes Lisa, Marty's one and only true love – a fresh faced young, but naive girl who only wants the best for her blooming boyfriend. Add punk Heather and fun-loving Ali and the recipe is starkly brilliant for the melting pot they are about to enter. Various encounters Bobby has with both Marty and Heather lead to the rest of the group deciding Bobby's fate. As I'm sure most of you will be able to piece together the puzzle, I won't spell out for you the rest as it really is something you need to experience yourself.The thing about this film is that, such a simple premise, can make for such impending questions about society and life. What we believe to see, as harmless and pathetic teenagers trying to get by, turns into a sincere questions about the realms of life, friendship and morality. Clarke digs deep underneath the spectrum to upturn the lives of these symbolically 'innocent' teens, to show the audience the very fact these individuals thought they would get away with such a crime, yet this is something we are able to believe – these kids aren't a product of society but society is a product of them. An example pans to the end of the film when Ali asks her mother directly whether or not if one of her friends was part of a murder or crime, how important would it be to report it? This is a great depiction of how naive these kids are and the belief that anything they did or carried out was completely above suspicion. What we're left with is a sour taste in our mouth, unable to truly process the events carried out in the second half. Clarke doesn't miss out any detail - certain scenes are fuelled with sex, violence and drugs, but this is done with dramatic effect and for the audience to delve into the lives of these delinquents, to try and understand their lives and backgrounds. What also always got me was the true form of Marty's and Lisa's love, initially it's quite hard to believe the authenticity of their passion, but as the film evolves, their relationship becomes so boldly intense. Soon we realise that Lisa's love for Marty doesn't hold back on any episode, the fight to the bitter end sends her in a dismay of love, hate and anger that sets to blow her final fuse of guilt as she confesses everything to her friend. The ending is something that to me, always stands out, and brings an array of emotions to front which when you have gone on the journey with these characters, can't help but feel confused, bitter and angry. With the fear of over-telling, I can't promote this film enough, if you like to explore the darker sides to humanity that haven't necessarily been explored then this is something you should experience. You'll never regret it.

Bully is based on the real life murder of Bobby Kent in 1993. Iconic Brad Renfro leads a cast of young upstarts in a movie that (I'm sure) does justice to the real case. If not, and the movie was changed for dramatic purposes, it was changed perfectly. Despite there being great acting by a great cast, the violence is gory and there's lots of explicit sex. So I recommend watching this alone. Not with a group, not with one boy or one girl, alone. Trust me on this.Brad Renfro plays Marty Puccio and Nick Stahl plays Bobby Kent. Marty and Bobby has been best friends since they were children, but Bobby has always mistreated Marty. Bobby has mistreated everybody in very disgusting ways that's all shown. Everybody gets fed-up with Bobby and all plan to kill him, with Mary being the most motivated.Renfro stated that Bully was his favourite movie of his. I must agree that it is his best he was in and the best he's acted in. So there's lots of sex among other things that make for an interesting viewing, but for a dark teenage crime-drama, it is a slam-dunk! As you might have guessed, Brad Renfro is the best in this and Nick Stahl is right behind him. There was something so awesome about Renfro in this that made his portrayal so sick and made me shake. That's right, Renfro did such a good job in this that he made me shake. Nobody else has ever done that to me.

This movie is so difficult to rate and definitely not for everyone! If it wasn't based (supposedly very accurately) on a true story, it would be hard to believe kids (and parents) are this trashy, ignorant, & self destructive. It's difficult to watch the graphic rape, nudity, porn, teen sex and bullying, but I understand the movie was trying to show how these kids were so casual about sex and had no self respect, dignity or skills to stand up for themselves. If it wasn't for the fact that it was true, I would've thought this just a stupid, explicit, gratuitous, teen sex film. On the other hand this movie can really open our eyes to how desensitized, ignorant and/or oblivious our society can be to the degradation caused by casual sex, bullying, drugs, teen peer pressure, violent video games, lazy parenting, etc. It's shocking how time after time we hear about kids killing and raping and how disconnected the parents are to the life their kids have been living. **Spoilers** This story shows a "boy", Bobby, who has bullied (mentally & physically) his best friend, Marty, all through their childhood. He rapes and mistreats other friends, and is finally killed, through mob mentality, drug influenced, ignorant revenge, but there is so much more to the story. Although this movie is centered on the teens I was disturbed by the parents who give their kids cars, money, no restrictions, and who turn a blind-eye, just letting their kids waste their lives away, hanging out with other deadbeat friends, doing drugs and not giving them any expectations, rules or building blocks to life and self respect. I was frustrated that the parents are so oblivious to their kids cries for help...like the passiveness and ignorance of a mom who lets her daughter hang out in her bedroom (door closed) with boys and girls, doing drugs, making out...and plotting murder; a son who comes to the dinner table in only boxer shorts, with a bruised face and begging his parents to move away from this neighborhood and they just yell at him that they aren't moving; a teen girl who's parents take care of her baby while she runs around half naked, hanging out with friends, having sex, and doing drugs; and the one parent that seems to be hands-on, trying to set expectations and goals for his kid, does it in such a forceful (bulling) way, with no care of the kids thoughts or feelings, that he drives his son to act out his lack of control and frustrations, out on his friends. It's unbelievable and shocking! There are lessons to be learned through this movie, but I doubt that the people who need the lessons would watch or understand. Because of the content (full nudity, sex, rape, porn) you can't really show this movie to kids and it's even too hard-core for teens. Maybe it will further open up the eyes of some of society to what is happening out there in some families, but I'm left with the question...what can we do about it?? The main lessons are to be engaged/involved with your kids! Listen! Be aware!! Don't conform to society... Don't let them do things just because "everyone else is doing it"...like going to unsupervised homes, dressing slutty, playing violent videos, being disrespectful... Parents do have more control over teens than they think...take away privileges: their cars, their phones, money they don't earn and enforcing curfews & restrictions. But the key is Love and Respect and to be involved and hands-on when they are young. If you instill respect, empathy, compassion and self-esteem from when they are babies, you won't have half as much trouble with them when they are older...I digress... anyway, I give it 3 stars for all the nudity, sex, porn, and disgusting content but 7 stars for the truth, grittiness and showing the mentality of these people and situation. I know it's contradictory, but I guess I just want to warn people that it is an interesting story, but definitely hard to view and not for everyone IMHO! March 2014