It’s hard to believe that “Blame” is a debut feature, as Quinn Shephard manages to develop a drama that’s so richly layered and filled with so many themes about consent, sexual abuse, and the boundaries between mentors and their protégés. “Blame” is by no means a perfect drama, but as a debut it sure manages to be a compelling character study through and through. Quinn, who also writes, edits, and stars, manages to explore the whole dynamic involved in grooming and the inherent power play that arise from them. “Blame” is a lot about the idea of groomers and the entire interplay between adults and younger people that can tend to cross lines often.
Shephard is dazzling as young Abigail, a high school theater fanatic who returns to school at the mockery of her classmates after a six month stint in a psych ward. When her drama teacher goes on maternity leave, she meets substitute teacher Mr. Woods, a man who takes a special involvement with the class and their study of the Arthur Miller play “The Crucible.” But as Abi indulges in the play, her relationship with Mr. Woods heightens to inappropriate levels. Meanwhile her classmate and bully Melissa takes notice and begins to engage in a psychological war with the increasingly aggressive Abi.
Quinn Shephard builds in to a progressively tense narrative that involves a deep, often disturbing look in to the lives of Melissa and Abigail. Although their personal lives are drastically different, they soon come to realize that they might be just different sides of the same coin. Shephard is never afraid to delve in to the more uncomfortable elements of the relationship between Mr. Woods and Abi, especially as their intensity for the play progresses. There are so many uncomfortable moments that we understand are just beyond inappropriate, but Shephard tends to take a step back and examine everyone involved in this taboo fiasco.
Although Shephard doesn’t paint anyone as inherently good or evil, there’s so much that’s involved psychologically and emotionally that by the time the movie ends we can never be sure who to root for. More so, we can never really be sure who was the predator the entire time. What keeps “Blame” from being a true masterpiece is Shephard leaves a lot of sub-plots dangling and unresolved. Why do Abi’s classmates call her “Sybil”? What happened at the psych class the year prior? Was Mr. Woods having an affair with his girlfriend Jennifer or not? Was Abi just playing a character the entire time?
Was she really controlling what seemed like a predatory situation? Who was Melissa’s dad always arguing with? In either case, despite the fact that Shephard props up so many themes but only resolves half of them, “Blame” still works as a compelling, and edgy psychological drama.