Jane (2023)

"Entertaining High School Satirical Thriller"

Out on Digital now from 101 Films is this decent, brisk high school thriller from director (and co-writer with Rishi Rajani) Sabrina Jaglom.

Olivia (Madelaine Petsch who also produces but don't let that put you off) is a student at an exclusive private girls' school. She has her heart set on going to Stanford University but gets a letter saying she's been 'deferred'. In the UK that would mean she would still be going but just in the intake after the next one. Presumably it means something different in the US because this news suggests her world is ending. 

The arrival of a new transfer student also provides Olivia with some competition as the school's best debater. If only there was some way of discrediting the new arrival (there is) and a handy accessible social media account of a recently deceased (by suicide) student (the Jane of the title) available. Oh there's one of those as well.

As a thriller JANE reaches the heights of 1990's PAPER MASK as Olivia manipulates those around her while increasingly threatening to bring about her own downfall. As a satire about the influence of social media and technology in student life it hits the target. Running a brief 83 minutes, JANE moves along at a cracking pace while never feeling rushed, and the performances by the leads are very good. Worth catching. 

JANE is out on digital from 101 Films on Monday 13th February 2023