Review of Initiation

Initiation tries to blend social commentary with decently gory kills in a somewhat ambitious slasher flick. Director John Berardo (co-writing with Brian Frager and Lindsay LaVanchy, who plays the protagonist) doesn't have a complete hold over his material, however, there's just about enough for slasher fanatics to give it a viewing. The elements in favour of Initiation include its progressive storytelling approach (in the #MeToo era), the neat inculcation of social media to disclose important plot points, and at least a couple of intriguing kills. The aspects that didn't work so well include the lack of depth in the characterization of the murder victims, a not-so-effective twist, and leaving more questions open than answered in the end. Nonetheless, Initiation falls in that zone between totally forgettable and cult classic - it's a relatively safe zone as a slasher - but as a piece of cinema, its shelf life may be much less.