Victims: The Most Difficult Movie I've Ever Made

 If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I'm honest with myself, even if at times, I'm too hard on my work (see The Youngest Hart and D.I.C.K). I'm not afraid to say what I feel is needed regarding myself and my tenure in Last Resort Films. Sometimes, things are good! My films are either doing well critically, financially, or both, I'm pumping out fresh new ideas, and everything seems to be moving at a solid pace. When things are bad though, you can feel it. Throughout my career, I've had my share of peaks and valleys. I still think back to Season 13 as one of my best seasons, Accordion de Chanson feeling like my first truly "great" movie. Five seasons later, I was on a skid financially (and in some parts critically), and it all came to a head with The Youngest Hart.

I guess you could argue I've hit another one of these valleys. I haven't had a profitable film since Get Georgie, which ironically enough was also my last "good" film, at least critically. Compared to last time, however, I don't feel as strongly about my films "succeeding" or "failing", for the most part, there was still the whole "D.I.C.K" matter, but other than that, I haven't been worried. This is due to a lot of personal matters in my life that I won't delve into here, but on the whole, I've grown to appreciate them for what they were. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was a fun attempt at expanding on an animated film while putting my own spin on things, Idlewild Ranch, while I do think I should've made it a comedy/western instead of a mystery/western, was still a charming piece that I come out of with a smile. So, while yes, there are flaws with these films (flaws that I hope to one day cover in the future), I can say that I had a good time with them and would recommend them if push came to shove.

With Victims, meanwhile, it's complicated. It's a film unlike anything I've done in the past, in that there's an underlying message to it. It's thanks to this that I can confidently say that Victims is probably the most difficult film to write. Not because it was hard to plot a storyline or write things down, but because of its subject matter and how best to go about it.

DISCLAIMER: I'm going to get a little political from here, so if you're uncomfortable with the talk of politics, I recommend clicking off and coming back another time.

This film was written during a... combative time, let's say, in America. Roe v. Wade was overturned, the midterms were coming up, and all around, you got this sinking feeling that your country was entering a dark spiral if certain matters went unchecked. Well, we're at the end of 2023 and while these fears have calmed down considerably, America still has a multitude of issues that it has to face, both at home and abroad. One such matter is systematic racism, where the policies of an institution or a government are inherently unfair to marginalized people. It's been among America's greatest faults as a nation, despite all the strides we've made, especially regarding police brutality. It's a big reason why Black Lives Matter exists, and why tensions were at a fever pitch when George Floyd was murdered.

And yet, the question of how to end systematic racism remains prevalent, including to some who question its existence entirely. I don't understand how, especially since African Americans are still being targeted by police at a disproportionate rate compared to others, but some feel this way. If you're wondering what my take is regarding the matter, Victims kind of give it away. Systematic racism, especially regarding black people in this country is a disgusting, shameful sin that we still have yet to fully get past. Yes, we have made strides, it wasn't that long ago we elected our first black president, and compared to the days of segregation and Jim Crow laws, we've come a long way. But it doesn't change the fact that black people are still stereotyped and looked down at by others as "second class", when really, they're not much different from anyone else. When people say "all cops are bastards", they aren't saying that every police officer in America is an awful person (although there are plenty of those), they're saying that they're representing a system that has consistently looked down at and abused people of color, black people in general. If we are to advance as a nation, this must change.

With that said, I don't believe that "defunding the police" is the be-all and end-all answer, especially if we look to places with high levels of crime, especially in places that have done just that. This is apparent in Chicago, which has recently seen several businesses shut their doors due to a surge in crime.  I do understand the sentiment regarding it, especially when it comes to allocating these funds to social programs, but you still need someone to uphold the law. That's why I personally feel that systematic reform is a better way forward, changing the police system so that it's less biased towards people of color and ensuring power-hungry officers don't infiltrate their departments. Will it happen during my lifetime? I'm hopeful at least.

I also strongly disagree with the notion that an entire group of people is at fault for everything. This goes for all races. Regardless of what they've done or whatever reason you may have, not only is it morally unacceptable, but it, ironically enough, is racist. Sadly, people seem to have it stuck in their mind that a group of people are bad if X, Y, and Z are in play. We're seeing this right now with the Israel/Palestine war as hate crimes against Jewish people have surged, even though not every Jewish person supports the Israeli government. We saw it before with Russians after Russia started their war against Ukraine, even though, again, not all Russians support the government. It especially came about when COVID-19 was running roughshod across America and people called out China. I can understand why they grow into these feelings, especially if they're sheltered or grew up having negative experiences, but it still doesn't excuse them nor does that change what it is.

The last point I want to make before I go into the film proper is that I don't think the police system is as cut-and-dry as "all cops are racist" or "all cops are bastards" because neither of them is true. From my experience, there are plenty of good cops out there who do hold their badge and job up with honor and dignity. The problem is that they're trapped in the same broken system as bad officers, and unfortunately for good officers, they don't get the same amount of notice as bad ones.

So, what is the message of Victims? It's simple. The system is broken, which is undeniable, but it's also more complex than we think it is. It's not just bad cops running about, shooting, and killing people without just cause, it can be genuine people who are forced into morally questionable territory because the system is rigged against those they're after. We can fight it as best we can, and maybe break ground, but for now, the machine is strong enough to either worsen our position or leave us on the ground, another soul lost, another victim into the ether. In a sense, the characters we see are all victims of this system. Terry was screwed over due to faulty allegations, Leyla had to watch as Jackson spiraled further into a bad crowd and awful life, and the police officers are upholding the system as best they can, a system that forces one to forego their past friendships for the sake of "justice'>

There's also a hidden second message within Victims, one that, again, I don't know if I was able to fully balance with its story, that being we shouldn't hate those who are racist to others. If anything, we should pity them. Why? While some truly are filled with hatred in their heart, others fall into this vicious cycle, either due to circumstances, bad influences, or a combination of both. In Victims, we see that Jackson has not had a good roll in life. He lost his best friend, Terry, during high school, and while Terry went on to have a decent life, Jackson fell into a life of drugs and resentment. As he fell further into this bad crowd, he began to believe that white people were the fault of his life falling apart. In actuality, it was simply bad luck. One that was further compounded by his decisions. The sad thing is that, if you watch the beginning of the film, you can see signs of what Jackson's life could have been. A happy, healthy, sweet kid who had all the potential in the world to be something instead of what he became.

Victims is a special film, one that I don't know when or if I'll make again, it's a film that touches on a sensitive subject and in a sense, walks a perilous tightrope. One thing I stressed to myself when writing this film was to avoid feeling too preachy. I'm a white man from Florida, and my job isn't to speak for people of color, it is to listen to their struggles, support them in their endeavors, stand with them in the face of adversity, and advocate for their continued success, so writing a film of this nature was always going to be a bit difficult, given my white privilege. That's why it's so important to listen to marginalized people at all times. They can help shape your worldview, make you aware of things you hadn't noticed, and see things from a different perspective. 

It only seems fitting, in a sense, that this film was based on an Iranian film called The Deer, one that touched on a lot of socioeconomic issues that Iranians dealt with during this period. While doing research for this movie, I learned that this was considered one of Iran's best films. Upon learning more, I was convinced that this film could be updated for a modern audience given the right subject matter. I don't know if Victims will follow the same path as The Deer, but honestly, that's irrelevant. My hope is that I was able to portray this message in a self-disciplined, respectful manner. Maybe the movie does well, maybe not, but if I was able to showcase it without becoming preachy, or like I was talking down to others, then as far as I'm concerned, I succeeded.

Until next time, this is Jacob Jones, signing off.