Rushed movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: RUSHED

This heartbreaking and powerful drama is now available in theaters nationwide, as well as on Digital/Video on Demand through Apple TV and other outlets.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 41 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Barbara O’Brien, an Irish Catholic mother, has her life turned upside-down when her son, a freshman in college, is involved in a tragic hazing incident.

As always, this is a spoiler-free review.

THINGS I LIKED:

Siobhan Fallon Hogan is STELLAR! She was PERFECT in this role as a fierce mother. As a mother, I love how dedicated she was to her family. Many would say she smothered her kids but I absolutely understand the feeling of wanting to be a part of your kids’ lives even when they grow up and move away. It’s hard to let go of those apron strings. I was blown away to learn that she also wrote the screenplay. Her performance reminded me of Francis McDermott. She was that good. I really loved her in this. The first time I ever saw her was in Men In Black where she says “Sugar water” in such a funny way that my family still laughs when we repeat that line.
It’s always good to see Robert Patrick. He’ll forever be a Terminator to me.
Jay Jay Warren does a great job in his role.
The last sentence out of Barbara’s mouth was profound and very well done.
I recognized Peri Gilpin’s voice long before I recognized her face. I don’t think I’ve seen her since her famous role as “Roz” in Frasier: The Complete Series. I’ve always enjoyed her performances and I loved that TV show.
It was symbolic that the mom prayed every day to the Virgin Mary, feeling a special bond with her as a mother. She lit candles, prayed “the rosary”, and even talked to her like a friend. She could relate to the mother of God because she was a mother.
Noticeably good direction. Some of the camera angles were so insightful.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Why would anyone want to join a fraternity that had a bunch of total douchebags in it? The president of the fraternity, played by Jake Weary couldn’t even complete a sentence without an F-bomb. Why would you want to hang out with people like that?
The topic feels dated. I remember hearing about all of these hazing deaths back in the 1980s. Because of the severity and frequency of them, the university where I attended college eventually decided to not allow the Greek system on campus at all. My roommate rushed a sorority our freshman year. She was forced to do embarrassing things which made me see how stupid it was to lower your dignity and self-respect just to hang out with supposed “cool” people.
Some of the subplots are completely dropped and you’re left with unanswered questions.
The uneven tone of the movie changes from Act 1 (drama) to Act 2 (dark comedy) to Act 3 (thriller). Some viewers are criticizing the twist in Act 3.