Words Hedvig Werner
Pippa Bianco's feature debut Share is an uncomfortable but important piece that successfully mirrors reality.
Following a successful festival run with wins and noms at Sundance Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival, HBO acquired the rights to Share, an intimate thriller exploring the repercussions of social media on the 16-year-old Mandy after waking up on the front lawn of her house with no memory of the night. Via text message, Mandy discovers she was assaulted but only after the video had entered the public domain, and what follows is an intense and realistic portrayal of the aftermath and emotional turmoil of being both physically and virtually exploited in an unconscious state.
Intrusive meetings with the police, silent rooms upon entry, a non-stop phone. The film doesn't make any promises that things will get easier or that justice will eventually be served; an adoption of society's often 'clumsy' handling of sexual assault cases and consent. The ending doesn't seek to satisfy the audience by giving a firm positive or negative conclusion, which amplifies the lingering feelings of the protagonist that will probably never fully go away. Pippa Bianco's feature debut is an uncomfortable but important piece that successfully mirrors reality, featuring a strong cast - including Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Nicholas Galitzine - that breathes the characters.
Share is available to watch on HBO Now and HBO Nordic.
Image credit: HBO
