Rating of
3/4
The dark side of being accepted
Terry - wrote on 09/25/16
After been assaulted, beaten up and having his car stolen, Brad becomes withdrawn and is bitterly disappointed with himself for not fighting back. Traumatized and desperate to be accepted and fit in, the opportunity to join his brother Brett’s fraternity seems to be the answer been looking for. The fraternity’s infamous “hell week” is a brutal hazing tradition that all pledges must go through in order to be accepted. But once it starts, brother begins to notice the extremity of what his brother and the other pledges are put through and starts to doubt the obscured legitimacy of it all.
Based on true events, this testosterone filled drama exposes the dark side of hazing experienced by many all over the world and raises the question: Is degradation embarrassment and abuse for a warped sense of acceptance worth it all?
The acting from a relatively unknown cast is excellent and the shaky camera effects aid in giving a documentary like feel, making the film even more realistic than it already is. James Franco has a minor yet effective role as a former, almost legendary member of the fraternity, who has moved on but whose devotion to his fraternity brothers is ever so present.
Nick Jonas, who plays Brett, displays some very good acting skills and Ben Schnetzer, portraying Brad, carries us through the movie and holds it together very successfully. The other cast members, portray their characters flawlessly. Intimidating and heartless, they show you exactly how these guys behave and how it must really be.
It’s unfortunate and unacceptable what goes on behind closed doors of fraternity’s and Goat exposes the truth. The fact that it’s based on true events makes it ever so more effective and, in addition to many known cases of hazing, one can only imagine how many more there are. This is a movie that should be seen for sure and it would be a good idea to show it in fraternities too.
