Zero Day

Starring: Calvin Robertson & Andre Keuck

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Generally speaking, I hate films that are shot on camcorder, but they do make things more realistic. This was a necessity for the film, Zero Day, which gives an in depth look at the psyche of two school shooters. The story isn't unexpected or anything you haven't seen before, but what makes this film unique is how the producers went about casting this film. The entire cast is made up of ordinary kids, with no previous acting experience, to that end, the entire immediate family of the shooters are also used in the film. Given that these kids weren't actors at the time, a lot of scenes also remain unscripted. The kids were told to just talk about things that make being a teenager tough, expressing dark, innermost feelings of rage and hatred of society. It was then that the writers wrote dialogue that corresponded with what these kids were saying. The result of this is one of the most realistic films I've ever seen. It was like actually being able to watch the video diaries of the Columbine shooters, expressing their feelings, and explaining their actions, prior to that tragic day. Both boys featured in the film are terrific and the way the Director just let the story flow, based on what these two kids had to say, was absolutely ingenious. I think this film was an amazing insight into the minds of troubled teenagers and I think it's a must see for anyone in the field of education.