This is the only movie I've seen that truly captures life after assault / abuse. Though it takes place in a high school, I recommend that every college student watches it too. Essentially, it covers the experience of a girl who was assaulted while black out drunk at a party.
This is truly Mandy's story, not the story of the outside. We follow her step by step, through finding out about the video, talking to her parents, filing with the police, etc. Her perspective is limited, though, as she doesn't remember the dreadful night when she was raped. What I loved most about the movie was that the assault itself is never shown. Though at the end, we find out what happens, we go through the whole movie not being sure what truly happened. I think that is so important - it reminds the viewers that it is not important to know all of the details, to see the assault. It is important to believe the victim/survivor. Because it did happen. She was never lying or overreacting.
Though some people may dislike the ending, where Mandy deletes the video evidence of Dylan raping her, I find it liberating. She wants her ideal to be over. She doesn't want to go through a trial, the social isolation, the publicity. Mandy made her choice to move on, even though it means giving up justice.
Note: I saw some other viewers blaming Mandy, saying that this movie is a reminder for people not to go out and get drunk with men. That is so false. This was never Mandy's fault, just as her father reminds her in the car. You can get drunk, hook up with people, smoke weed, or whatever you want. That doesn't mean people can assault you. It is never the fault of the victim/survivor/person that was assaulted.
Note: I saw some other viewers blaming Mandy, saying that this movie is a reminder for people not to go out and get drunk with men. That is so false. This was never Mandy's fault, just as her father reminds her in the car. You can get drunk, hook up with people, smoke weed, or whatever you want. That doesn't mean people can assault you. It is never the fault of the victim/survivor/person that was assaulted.