Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

The Age of Commercialism

Captivating movie !

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I was hoping this film might add something to the debate about school shootings in America, but unfortunately it does not. The story of Herman Howards, a bullied and ridiculed young kid in high school, who decides to finally show people what they're doing to him: he walks into his school, laying waste to many students and teachers with guns and pipe bombs. Herman is familiar; he's like all the real school shooters who ended up taking lives needlessly because they were traumatized personally. I have sympathy for those who are bullied- I was in juniour high school, and it was awful. However, there's a difference between having sympathy and agreeing with what someone has done. School shootings have a lot of angles to consider- one major angle being the availability of guns to people, and particular young people, in the U.S- but this film goes in too many directions, never really going for one angle instead of a bunch.The acting was all right. Mainly Norman Reedus carried the acting here. Even the kid who played Herman wasn't that great, though there were a few moments I enjoyed from him. Unfortunately acting can't make up for the lack of a decent plot. It's too simple. They're not really saying anything here. I gave this a 4 out of 10 because of Reedus, and also the willingness to tackle a really tough subject for American audiences. Other than that, I would say skip it. I was waiting on this awhile, but now I'm thoroughly disappointed.The one thing that I did enjoy here Reedus' character, and his backstory. He was involved with some undercover reporting, a la Hunter S Thompson with the Hells Angels, which of course eventually goes bad. Basically we get more depth into the character, how he has not always necessarily been an "innocent", and took part in something brutal. Though this is another area the film also falls short- they never really gave me a satisfying conclusion to the character and his demons. It was a very intense setup, but I don't feel like they paid it off in the end.Find something else to watch, unless you have some time to waste. There are a couple other films involving school shootings, particularly Zero Day, that use the premise more effectively, and with much more impact.

The idea of the movie was great, more of it too. But emoitons are like drained, they are gone. Mother who losing her son don't just cry, she is completely destroyed by grief. On top of it - nobody should let an execution of non adult kid to be showed on television. The end was ridiculous too - he just continued his show like nothing happened. There were nasty scenes with the "negar" kid, and nobody said how he made it and escaped from that group, Lax I mean. Not good enough for me. Norman's playing was absolutely professional as always, and his character was more convincing than Herman's one. That offset the viewer's attention from the real problem. Great idea, bad performance, that's what I have to say. I couldn't feel the emotions of that drama, I couldn't see it from the deviations. You have no more than five from me. And it's too much.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a movie that sheds light on the issues that school bullying brings, but the attempt to humanize someone who took the lives of others is just too much. If you want a great film on the subject, I suggest Bully. A first hand account from people who live through bullying trumps a violent bloodbath being used to push someones agenda any day (you hear me Micheal Moore?) When I first heard about this film, I was excited. No, not because Daryl Dixon was going to play one of the leads, but because this is a very real problem in our society today, one that hits close to home for myself and my friends. I sat down with a friend to watch the trailer when it came out. Less than 30 seconds into the trailer, she was in the bathroom, puking. Why, you may ask, did my friend throw up? Within those 30 seconds, she got to relive losing one of her friends during the shooting at their high school. And I mean really relive it as the person on screen was killed the exact same way. Even the trailer shows the director/writer blatantly using the deaths of real people who died in school shootings for "inspiration" behind the deaths in the movie (our friends were not bully's. They were victims of a demented mind that wanted attention. Of all the people he killed, not a single one had EVER bullied him.) She didn't finish the trailer and her words were, "The only way I'd watch that movie is if Norman Reedus AND the director watched it with me. That way they could see first hand the effect that it has. Reedus can hold my hair while I puke." I, being the glutton for punishment that I am, did finish the movie. Not without difficulty I assure you. I site all of the above negative reviews as my reasons along with the deep sadness of watching people killed in the same manner as people I knew. I get the feeling that 'fans' of Norman Reedus are the only reason that this movie doesn't have one star. While Mr. Reedus and Mr. Backstrom did OK in their rolls, it just wasn't enough to save the sinking ship that is Hello Herman. If you love Norman Reedus, by all means watch away. Just keep your kids away from this movie. To me it feels more like a blueprint in how to get attention than it does a warning of what could happen. Never. Again.

The chemistry between the two leads (Reedus and Backstrom) was outstanding. They definitely played off each other and it worked. I also found Herman's mother's (Michelle Danner) monologue to be quite convincing and moving. The great acting is to be expected when a prestigious acting teacher is the director. I think this film is rather important for parents and teachers to see. I can see Danner being persuaded by many others to not make this movie since the subject matter is so controversial. Obviously in the movie, Herman gets bullied to an extent that he plots for revenge and lashes out on his fellow students through murder. This movie reminds us of how an innocent child can transform into a heartless killing machine through the abuse and bullying a child endures. Herman states to Lax that he is human. Everybody needs to be reminded that everybody in this world is human and we all have feelings we go through.