If Mean Girls and Heathers endured senior year of high school with a featherless Black Swan, it would somehow resemble the film Jane. Directed by Sabrina Jaglom (Home Again, Unforgettable) from a script she co-wrote with Rishi Rajani, the female-driven thriller manages to hit some great marks. It’s steady, it’s brooding, and it invites the audience to ponder what’s really occurring.
Toss in some a gaggle of grief, some cyberbullying, and a believable performance from the film’s lead, Riverdale’s Madelaine Petsch, and that’s plenty of incentive to invest nearly 90 minutes of your time in. True, it doesn’t quite invigorate as effectively as, say, The Outcasts or Cruel Intentions, but it does give us a compelling psychological thriller created by and starring fiercely creative if not determined women.
Jaglom and Petsch stand at the front of the line here. Jaglom — in her directorial debut — co-wrote the story hoping to illuminate the immense pressures teens place upon themselves and delivers a cautionary tale about the downside of social media. In addition to starring in Jane, Petsch is also a first-time producer on the film, more than hinting that she’s all for supporting projects created and produced by women.
No doubt there’s a deeper message in this endeavor: that the mind-bending stories we all have playing out in our heads often become our most challenging foes.
An Ambitious, Modern-Day Social Media Thriller
The story thus far: Olivia (Petsch) is grieving the death of her best friend, Jane (Chloe Yu), who committed suicide. The traumatic event weakened the bond she once shared with Izzy (Chlöe Bailey) and as the two enter senior year at their all-girls high school, tensions are high. Especially for Olivia. Beyond the grief, her anxiety over getting into Stanford University begins to escalate, and now there’s a new girl in school, Camille (Nina Bloomgarden), who threatens to take over Olivia’s top spot on the debate team.
But — what’s this? — Olivia begins seeing Jane. In the mirror. In the hall. She’s just there—staring blankly back at her. What gives? Olivia tries to shake off the mysterious occurrences and as she and Izzy grow closer again, they hatch a plan to catfish Camille by pretending to be Jane on her old social media page. Why not gaslight this new girl? Who needs all that extra pressure? Initially, the plan works, but in another mysterious turn, somebody else appears to be posting on Jane’s feed, too.
Meanwhile, Olivia keeps spotting Jane. It’s enough to drive a girl mad.
Petsch is a tour de force in the film. Her Cheryl Blossom may be over the top in Riverdale, but it’s refreshing to experience the actress in a more grounded if not maudlin role. Jaglom’s story and, in turn, her direction, keep things more grounded than one expects from a psychological thriller. In the hands of an overly eager writer or director, this film could have sailed over the creative cliff countless times, going for the shock and awe of it all. But there’s an evenness to the storytelling, and it keeps the audience invested. And Petsch is a commanding presence in every frame. As is Bloomgarden’s Camille—frankly her character, while given limited screen time, winds up being thoroughly fascinating. She holds a curious backstory that, in and of itself, would make for either an interesting episode of a streaming series, or its own film. Which brings us to…
Who Are These Characters, Really?
Who is Olivia? Like, for real. And for that matter, who was Jane? We don’t really know much about them—their past, their family. It’s all a bit nebulous. Considering Jane is one of the main focal points of the tale, we’re given no knowledge of what made her and Olivia such close friends. Furthermore, who were Jane’s parents? Where are they now? And why did she take her life?
One is left to assume that Jaglom purposely kept things a bit mysterious, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark the filmmaker may have intended. We get it — this is a story about anxiety, grief, peer pressure, and the mental madness we put ourselves through, especially during high school. Things slowly percolate here until they reach a wild boil. And yet, one has to wonder if including one or two scenes from Olivia and Jane’s past might have given this already great concept a refreshing boost.
Other characters, such as Melissa Leo’s stalwart principal, and Ian Owens’ debate team coach, seem, at times, as if the actors are calling it in. No doubt Leo, an Oscar winner for goodness’ sake, was intrigued by the project and wanted to support it. And while it’s great to see her here, there seems to be a missed opportunity with her.
As the story unfolds and Olivia descends deeper into her own brouhaha—will she get into Stanford? Won’t she?—Jane continues to resurface. The final fifteen minutes of the film deliver monumental surprises that are effectively executed. They allow audiences to come to some of their own conclusions about… Olivia. Jane. High school. The trials of social media. And the sometimes maniacal things the human psyche is capable of.
Often smart, sometimes lean, but thoroughly sharp, Petsch and Jaglom’s creative drive fuels a better-than-average tale for these ever-precarious modern times.
Jane opens at select AMC Theaters Aug. 26 and streams on Creator+ in September.