#Like (2019) – Film Review

Director: Sarah Pirozek
Cast: Marc Menchaca, Sarah Rich & Jeff Wincott
Certificate: 18

By @Roger Crow

Teenager Rosie is mourning the first anniversary of her younger sister’s death. She discovers the mysterious man who sexploited and bullied her sibling to commit suicide is back on-line searching for new victims.

When the authorities refuse to get involved, Rosie takes the law into her own hands.

“Vengeful”

That’s the simple premise for #Like, one of those low budget indies where the protagonist only rides her bike against autumnal hues or at magic hour. Or both.

Fifty years ago the superior British movie Assault covered similar ground. In that case, a man who may or may not have been a killer was kidnapped by grieving relatives of the deceased and kept in a cellar. Then there was Hard Candy, in which a photographer was kidnapped by a vengeful young woman who lured him into a trap.

The problem with #Like is that it’s been done before, but spends far too much time thinking people surfing social media and having instant message conversations makes for great cinema. Used sparingly, maybe, but the director should give us some fresh spins on the format – using a projector for the online conversation for example, or just anything else other than the same old shots of typing, screen, reaction.

“Well shot”

Stars Marc Menchaca, Sarah Rich and Jeff Wincott do a good job with the material, it’s well shot and put together, and if you’ve never seen any thrillers involving alleged killers being kidnapped by vengeful relatives, then this may appeal.

But it’s just okay. With a more polished script and fresher creative touches, this could have been as good as the trailer quotes suggested.