Assassination 1965

In the small town of Salem, high school senior Lily Colson spends her days hanging out with her closest friends—Bex Warren, and the sisters Em and Sarah Lacey. Their typical teenage lives take a dark turn after a night at a party, where Bex hooks up with her crush Diamond, while Lily is with her boyfriend Mark, secretly messaging a man known only as Daddy. During their intimate encounter, Diamond confides in Bex to keep their relationship secret, citing her transgender identity, which adds layers of complexity and secrecy to their interactions.

The story deepens when a casual hacker, known as Marty, receives an anonymous message addressing Mayor Bartlett, a prominent anti-gay politician. The hacker exposes incriminating photos of Bartlett engaging with male escorts and wearing women’s clothing. Marty quickly spreads this information across Salem, igniting outrage. In a shocking turn, during a press conference meant to address the scandal, Mayor Bartlett tragically commits suicide. The chaos doesn’t end there—another high-profile target, Principal Turrell, is hacked, revealing compromising pictures of his young daughter, which falsely paint him as a pedophile. Despite public outrage and accusations, the Principal refuses to resign, choosing to stand firm for the wellbeing of his students and school.

As the town grapples with these revelations, police question Marty about the hacks, only for another explosive data dump to flood Salem with personal information about half the residents. Among the victims is Grace, who discovers her best friend Reagan has shared her nude photos with others. In a fit of rage, Reagan is assaulted and left in a coma. Daddy is identified as Nick Mathers, neighbors of Em and Sarah, with whom Lily used to babysit. Lily’s private messages and videos with Nick surface publicly, leading to her humiliation—Mark publicly exposes her, and her parents disown her, leaving her shunned, homeless, and distraught.

Her ordeal reaches a peak when she’s harassed and chased by a man in a truck, who films his harassment and threatens her with a knife. Lily defends herself with a shovel, managing to escape and hide in Em and Sarah’s house. One week later, Salem’s residents, inflamed by the chaos, don masks and arm themselves to seek revenge. Nick leads a vigilante mob, capturing and torturing Marty to force a confession linking him to the hacks. Before execution, they upload his forced confession online.

The mob catches up with Lily and her friends at Em and Sarah’s house, where their mother, Nance, tries to protect them but is killed in the chaos. The girls escape, with Bex fending off attackers using a nail gun. Meanwhile, Lily finds Nick inside Nick’s house, where he initially pretends to help her but quickly reveals his violent intentions. After a fierce confrontation, Lily manages to subdue Nick, discovering his extensive arsenal of weapons. She fights to rescue Sarah and Em from his clutches, ultimately defending herself with a razor blade and taking down Richter, the police officer leading the mob.

Bex is captured by Johnny, a friend of Diamond, who seeks revenge by forcing Diamond to hang her. However, Bex persuades Johnny to spare her, forcing him to watch as Lily, Em, and Sarah rescue Bex and eliminate Johnny’s accomplices. Eventually, Johnny surrenders, and Bex chooses to spare him, freeing Diamond. Lily broadcasts a video advocating for justice, encouraging the victims, now united, to stand against their oppressors and the corrupt mob.

The story concludes with the younger brother of Lily, Donny, who masterminded the hacks, being captured and sentenced for cyberterrorism, murder, and invasion of privacy. When asked why he did it, Donny simply replies, “I don’t know, for the lulz,” highlighting his reckless attitude. The film ends with a powerful scene of the Salem High marching band performing Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” amidst the wreckage of the town—blown apart, filled with debris and the aftermath of violence—symbolizing a town that has been torn apart but also hinting at the potential for rebirth and resilience amidst chaos.