From SAT tutoring, horse-showing, to blood and gore, Thoroughbreds is a new-classic high school horror film. Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this comedic but dark psychological thriller.

The film centers around Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke), as the childhood friends reconnect as teenagers. The girls hatch a plot to murder Lily’s controlling stepfather and subsequently put their plan into action with the help of a washed-up drug dealer, Tim (Anton Yelchin).

Putting aside the thrilling plotline and engaging character development, this film has stunning cinematography and includes many striking images. The horrific scenes in the movie were shot and produced in such a way that they appear theatrical and dramatic rather than campy and graphic as contemporary horror so often are.

Thoroughbreds was directed by Cory Finley, an American director, playwright and screenwriter. The cinematographer was Lyle Vincent.

I found the film to be incredibly dynamic as it was able to evoke allusions both to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the 1988 teen-horror/comedy movie Heathers. Amanda and Lily agonize over whether they should murder (and how they should murder) Lily’s controlling, overbearing stepfather.  The girls ultimately carry out the crime.

The movie is relevant to the current social and political atmosphere. Thoroughbreds is thematically evocative of the #metoo movement, a movement that condemns sexual assault and raises awarness on sexual assault issues.

As the #metoo movement is centered around harassment and assault in the workplace, it shines a light on the toxicity of an unfair power dynamic, skewed in favor of wealthy men.  The movement calls men in power to a reckoning as many who have abused their power and status are being fired, like in the prominent case of Harvey Weinstein, a film producer and alleged sexual abuser.

The central plot of Thoroughbreds, two teenage girls murdering a controlling, powerful man, is a reference to the movement.