Sean, a rebellious teenager, is falsely accused of planning a school massacre, and must survive time in juvenile hall with violent teens while attempting to prove his innocence. Find out more in the Kidzworld Review of Blackbird.
Connor Jessup plays Sean, a misunderstood teenCourtesy of Blackbird
Blackbird
Sean Randall (played by Connor Jessup) is a brooding teen who feels like he's at war with the world around him, and shows it by dressing goth, listening to heavy music and constantly making fun of his surroundings by taking videos on his iPhone of all the freaky things going on his life. Things take a turn for the worse in his life when he's forced to move to the small community of Eastport to live with his estranged dad. Because of his goth appearance Sean is immediately singled out by the hockey team jocks as a target for bullying, and he lashes out with empty threats. Sean forms an unlikely bond with a preppy girl he takes the bus with, Deanna (Alexia Fast), but just as their romance is starting to evolve Sean is accused of planning a school massacre based on a dark story he wrote, his empty threats to protect himself, and the videos he was using to document the things about his new life he hates. The 16-year-old is forced to fight for his life in a juvenile detention center and clear his name to the community around him while still trying to make it work with Deanna.
Blackbird opens in select major cities May 10thCourtesy of Blackbird
The Bottom Line
Blackbird has been recognized as an important film with a message by film critics at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film explores bullying and how social media can be misinterpreted - for example because Sean posts his story online and exaggerates while online chatting about how much he hates the hockey team jocks who bully him, the police immediately believe that it's not just a story but a plan. The movie also shows how things, and people, may not be what they appear, and how easy it is to assume an outsider, or anyone different, is bad or violent. In the end the film shows honesty as Sean's true ticket out of his dire situation, despite what his lawyer, dad or girlfriend think. Blackbird contains some dark and violent scenes - so if you're interested in watching Blackbird, we recommend asking your parents or watching it with them, and even having a family discussion afterward about the power of social media, violence in schools and bullying. Blackbird opens in select major cities May 10th.
Sean lands himself in juvenile detention center after cops search his houseCourtesy of Blackbird
Blackbird Movie Rating:
Check out the trailer for Blackbird below.
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