5. Bully - The Murder Of Bobby Kent
Larry Clark. Good ol' Larry Clark. He was the guy that brought us "Kids" and showed us that teenage sexuality really is uncomfortable to watch and, what's worse, that there are some people who are so promiscuous by the time their fifteen or so, that they have already contracted the AIDS virus and is happy passing it along to other people. His 2001 film "Bully", is no different. Very, very uncomfortable to watch and an absolutely horrible series of events that was so easily avoidable. This film features an array of young stars, such as Nick Stahl, Bijou Philips, Brad Renfro (may he RIP), acting as most teens do. Except when bully Bobby Kent, portrayed by Stahl, dishes out more than the group can take, they decide to kill him. Tempting Kent with sex, one of the girls gets him on his own in a secluded part of town where the rest lay in waiting. When ready, the group strikes, killing Kent and leaving his body for the crabs to eat. The following hour, after the murder, we watch the group disintegrate, deterring from the plan to keep their mouths shut, suspecting each other of calling the police. It was the ultimate story of the dog who got sick of getting kicked around and finally attacked. It should have been a relief, you know? No, we shouldn't celebrate a bully being savagely murdered, but we should feel, I don't know, a little proud for the bullied, no? Not when it happens in real life, I'm afraid. In real life, it's a story about a 20 year old who was beaten and stabbed to death by seven other people, his body left to be found, whenever. A horrible, horrible story. The attack happened on July 14, 1993 in Hollywood, Florida. Contrived by his best friend's pregnant girlfriend, Bobby Kent became a victim at the hands of those he trusted the most. While researching the crime, I know now why Clark's film seemed so violent and terrifying when I first watched it - it is an exact retelling of the days prior to the murder and the events that took place after. I don't believe for a second that Clark took artistic license with any of the events, like so many films that are based on true events do (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, anyone?)