Society Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Rich people are secretly shape-shifting aliens who really, really enjoy uncomfortable dinner parties.

🍿 Society: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Bill’s Growing Paranoia

Bill Whitney, a Beverly Hills teenager, feels increasingly alienated from his wealthy family. They seem distant and subtly different from him, leading him to believe he might be adopted. His concerns are dismissed as typical teenage angst by his psychiatrist, Dr. Cleveland, but Bill can’t shake the feeling that something is profoundly wrong. He confides in his friend Milo and begins to suspect something sinister is afoot. These suspicions are fueled by an audio tape presented to him by his sister’s ex-boyfriend, David Blanchard, hinting at incestuous orgies within his family and their social circle.

The Mysterious Tape and Blanchard’s Disappearance

The tape seems to capture a disturbing ritual, reinforcing Bill’s fears. However, the tape mysteriously alters itself, and Blanchard disappears after confronting Bill about his discoveries, further intensifying Bill’s paranoia. He starts seeing disturbing visions, such as his sister’s body contorting in unnatural ways. Driven by mounting fear and suspicion, Bill attempts to investigate further, but his efforts are met with resistance and denial from his family and others, making him question his own sanity. He becomes more isolated as he tries to uncover the truth.

Unveiling the Society

Bill’s investigation leads him to a horrifying revelation: his family and their elite social circle are part of a secret, inbred society capable of grotesque physical transformations. They engage in bizarre rituals referred to as “shunting,” which involve the manipulation and consumption of lower-class individuals. This is their means of maintaining their power and status. He discovers that he was adopted into this society and is intended to be a participant, or rather, a victim, in their next ritual. With the help of his friend Milo and a conflicted member of the Society, Clarissa, Bill must fight to expose the truth and escape this horrifying fate.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock): A Beverly Hills teenager who suspects his family is part of a sinister secret society.
• Dr. Cleveland (Ben Slack): Bill’s psychiatrist who initially dismisses his fears as teenage paranoia.
• Jenny Whitney (Patrice Jennings): Bill’s sister, whose behavior and relationship with her family adds to his suspicions.
• David Blanchard (Tim Bartell): Jenny’s ex-boyfriend who provides Bill with evidence of his family’s strange activities.
• Clarissa Carlyn (Devin DeVasquez): A mysterious and alluring girl who becomes Bill’s girlfriend and is connected to the society.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Clarissa Carlyn: “How do you like your tea? Cream, sugar… or do you want me to pee in it?” – Clarissa asks Bill this in a darkly humorous way as she is offering him tea.
• Dr. Cleveland: “You’re going to make a wonderful contribution to society.” – The psychiatrist says this with sinister undertones, foreshadowing Bill’s destined role in the ‘Society’s’ activities.
• Jim Whitney: “Now, now honey, you know the rules… first we dine, THEN we copulate.” – Jim states this rule in a strange and disturbing tone during the film’s climax.
• Ferguson: “The rich have always sucked off low-class s*** like you!” – Ferguson explains how ‘Society’ sees the lower class during the bizarre and gory climax.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $2,000,000
• Domestic Gross: None
• Worldwide Gross: $118

💥 Society Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, ‘Society’ is just…bizarre. I remember watching it late one night and being completely floored by the ending. I mean, who comes up with this stuff? The whole idea of the rich literally feeding off the poor is taken to such an extreme, it’s both hilarious and disturbing. The ‘shunting’ scene? I’ll never forget it. This movie definitely sticks with you, whether you want it to or not.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of body horror”
  • “Viewers interested in social satire”
  • “Those who appreciate cult classic horror films”
  • “Horror fans who enjoy unique and bizarre plots”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Graphic violence and gore”
  • “Disturbing sexual content and nudity”
  • “Incestuous themes”
  • “Cannibalism”
  • “Body horror and grotesque imagery”

Professional Reviews

• Fangoria: “A wonderfully unique mixture of social commentary, the 90210 lifestyle and incredibly warped horror. The climactic scenes involving the big shunt are really something to behold. Words cannot do justice to the madness of this sequence.
• AllMovie: “The film delivers subversive blows in the same channel as the people consumed reality on TV, the channel that played soap opera and assured life was something like it. It’s a lot of fun, sunny, increasingly unhinged.
• Film Threat: “Society is the amazingly assured directorial debut from Brian Yuzna, producer of the Re-animator series. Yuzna’s handling of his surreal material is excellent, wisely keeping his audience as much in the dark as his central character.

Audience Reactions

The ending is absolutely bonkers and unlike anything I’ve ever seen!: Most people love the special effects and the utterly insane climax of the film.

A bizarre social commentary that you won’t forget!: It mixes 80’s teen movie tropes with incredibly grotesque body horror.

Overall Consensus: ‘Society’ is a cult classic horror film known for its bizarre plot, over-the-top special effects, and social satire.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The scene where Jenny’s body contorts in the shower was added during production to add a shocking scene earlier in the film, as the director felt it needed more of a scare earlier.”
• “Screaming Mad George’s special effects were heavily cut from the Republic Pictures Home Video release to achieve an ‘R’ rating.”

🖥️ How to Watch Society?

Currently, ‘Society’ is available for streaming and purchase on various platforms. Check Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other digital retailers for rental or purchase options. Availability may vary by region.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Society, you might like these similar films:

• They Live (1988): Explores themes of hidden social control and the elite manipulating the masses, similar to the class commentary in ‘Society’.
• Parents (1989): Features a young boy suspecting his seemingly normal parents of cannibalism, creating a similar atmosphere of paranoia and familial unease.
• Videodrome (1983): Shares the surreal and body horror elements as characters’ realities are distorted by outside forces, but ‘Videodrome’ delves into the influence of media instead of social class.
• Get Out (2017): A modern horror film that explores similar themes of social inequality and exploitation of marginalized groups by the wealthy elite, with a shocking reveal.

🛒 Society Related Products

• Society [Blu-ray]: A high-definition transfer of this cult classic with restored image and sound quality, plus bonus features.
• Society Movie Poster: A high-quality print of the original movie poster, perfect for framing and displaying your love for the film.
• Society T-Shirt: This is a custom shirt inspired by the unique ending of the film.

🎧 Soundtrack

Society features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Blue Danube” – performed by Johann Strauss
• “Eton Boating Song” – performed by Arranged by Mark Ryder & Phil Davies

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

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