Justin Lerner's The Automatic Hate is the type of film that I'd recommend going into as blind a possible, being a film that is sure to be divisive given the rather taboo subject matter. The film is centered around David Green, a 20-something man, who faces resentment from his father due to his culinary pursuits, a career which makes his psychology degree from Yale essentially worthless. David's relationship with his current girlfriend, Cassie, is rocky at best, and when a young, beautiful woman named Alexis shows up at his doorstep, it certainly doesn't help David's current situation. Alexis claims to be David's cousin, and after some digging on his part, David discovers that she is telling the truth, learning that their is an entire side of his family kept secret from him his entire life. I really don't want to go into any more details, for sake of spoilers, but lets just say that The Automatic Hate is one of the more risque, intriguing, and singular American indie films I've seen in recent memory. This is a unique narrative from a young filmmaker who isn't afraid to touch on more risque ideas, and The Automatic Hate is very engaging from the beginning, being a mystery film which follows David as he tries to comprehend exactly why his father hid the fact that he had an uncle from him. This secret hangs over much of the film's running time, keeping the audience intrigued and curious, much like David, as to what the hell is going on. That being said, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I saw the reveal coming from a mile away, due to a few too obvious hints early in the film where David's father gives a lecture on Nature vs. Nurture and human behavior in general, but I'd argue the film's unique subject matter kept me engaged, and a little squemish, from start to finish anyway. Thematically, The Automatic Hate is really a story of our lack of free will, how we are not as independent as we think we are, shaped by heredity and environment. David's plight ends up mirroring his uncles in a lot of ways, and while I don't necessarily agree with some of the film's principles about free will, it's a fascinating, and ballsy experiment. While i did find Justin Lerner's The Automatic Hate a tad silly in sections due to the aforementioned thematic ideals, I've always been a fan of films that challenge the constructs of societies deemed morality, and through the story of David, The Automatic Hate certainly achieves that.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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