THE PICKUP GAME

It's an interesting concept to wrap my head around and if you would allow me, I'm throwing my two cents in. The world, society, people - whatever you want to call it - always seem to get comfortable with feminism. It's films like this that really grab us by the shoulders and shake the daylight out of us, telling us we need to take action. And to that point, I am so glad this is a film produced to the world by men in a non-patronising way - props and congrats to you guys. I do hope this film brings you every success in support of the courage you showed to step out and shine a spotlight. In saying that, I think this documentary could also be quite confronting to men. It's a direct hit and reveals the douchebaggery that sometimes gets forgotten or overseen.

This is an industry that could have targeted increasing confidence in young men to build their courage or even working on their self-development and security from a mental standpoint. Instead, it began to equate worth with picking up women and sex stats. I love films like this because they call out people and industries for what they are. This is exposition crafted into a powerful tool of entertainment, and it's why we as people make films. Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki said, "You have to be determined to change the world with your film, even though nothing changes. That's what it means to be a filmmaker." This film is a game-changer (pardon the pun). And it's horrible to think that it will be lost on or go unnoticed by the people it's really calling out. I guess that's the way it goes; if you're a piece of shit, then you're probably not going to watch things that call you out for being a piece of shit - or at least go into extreme denial about "how it's not like that". And I can already imagine how the aftermath of this will kick up a fuss. 

The news, the media and people often place the women at the forefront...

"A girl was raped walking home"
"Woman hit by husband tonight"
"Woman drugged at club..."

For once, this film has the guts to assert that men are the foundation of all of this. It doesn't make a comment on the ladies; it's a call out. I am so fired up about this documentary that when I first watched it had me so saddened by the state of things. But very rarely do we ever receive justice or education on such topics, and this film delivers on that front. It doesn't stop there - where it educates and unpacks the truth for those of us who are naïve (me), it's also an allegory for those who participate in such experiences. Its a highlight reel of where these people end up and how they feel in the aftermath of such activities... a cautionary tale of sorts.

I won't lie to you. I had a whole paragraph in here with an opinion on the characters in this documentary and the world that surrounds them. Then I remembered that it's not my job to make a statement on the content, it's my job to encourage you to watch this film. The documentary is more than strong enough to convince you of the rest. Please, please go support these filmmakers, spread the word of this film, and hopefully it can change the world - even if it's just a little.