Audrie and Daisy

Netflix

Donald Trump's recent predatory comments, which were directed towards women, has created a perfect atmosphere for the release of "Audrie and Daisy.” The excuse of 'locker room talk' and 'boys will be boys' has been used by many rapists, and the media at large, to pacify us against action. "Audrie and Daisy," more than anything, captures the laissez-faire attitude of teenaged boys, who know they can rape and degrade women and get a slap on the wrist, while the women carry the weight of the action for the rest of their lives.

 The film follows two teenage girls, who each were assaulted, and had evidence of their assaults put on the internet. The first part of the film follows 14-year-old Audrie Potts, who was written on, sexually assaulted, and had photos of the assault taken and posted online. The larger second half deals with the gang rape of Daisy Coleman, who took her accusers to trial and was rewarded with victim blaming, online attacks, and a fit of depression that almost took her life.

Though their stories are often compelling and heartbreaking, the film works best when it looks at the overall issues of reporting and the way boys are let off the hook. The last interview with the Sherriff in Daisy's community had me actively yelling at my television screen. His idea of justice is to let the boys move on with their lives, like their offense is one that can be rectified and forgotten as a bit of juvenile fun. The audacity in his statements isn't much different than the attitude of those in power today. Media is also to blame, as it spreads false representations of victims and rapists alike. The film mostly looks at social media's use in sexual assault and how quickly information is disseminated among minors.

 The weakest aspect of the film was the herky jerky manner in which these stories were told. Audrie's name is in the title, but her story isn't covered much, probably because the filming was done as compensation in a civil case, and though her story couldn't be strong by itself, adding Daisy made it seem like a full fledged documentary. While the stories are heartbreaking, to say the least, the film doesn't dive much into actual facts surrounding rape statistics, except before the ending credits. Though it makes sense to see these stories told in a close and personal manner (to really show the impact of sexual assault) it is much more impactful to tell many stories at a time. They tried to accomplish this by adding Delaney, Jada, and several others in the end, but that wasn't enough to leave the documentary on a powerful note. My heart sincerely broke watching this film, but at the same time I wanted to feel empowered and strong, feeling like there was something that could be done in the wake of so many travesties. This film told a sad story, but didn’t give us that needed hope for the future.