Zero Day

Name: Zero Day
Genre: Drama
Released: August 3, 2003
Duration: 92 min
Rating: 69

2003

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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Zero Day

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Movie Details & Credits

Avatar Films | Release Date: August 3, 2003 | Unrated

Summary: A chilling look inside the minds of two high school boys, Zero Day brings us into the world of best friends Andre and Cal, alienated teens determined to carry out a violent attack on their high school. (Film Forum)

Director: Ben Coccio

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 92 min

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Critic Reviews

Eric Campos

This isn’t exploitation; this is a look at how things may have been with Harris and Klebold, and how something like this could easily happen again. Read full review

Ronnie Scheib

Consistently riveting. Anything but sensationalistic, pic powerfully illuminates the banality of evil, as realistically ordinary kids (played brilliantly by non-professional high schoolers) prepare to wreak havoc. Read full review

Scott Tobias

Though comparisons to "The Blair Witch Project" are inevitable, the impeccable first-person camera technique not only makes sense dramatically, but also facilitates a complex and queasily ambiguous relationship between the conspirators and the audience. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

The movie can't help but resonate with a ripped-from-the-headlines topicality. Read full review

A.O. Scott

What gives the movie its power is that even the most innocuous scenes in the boys' lives are shadowed by dread. Read full review

J. Hoberman

The simulation of shaky camera amateur DV is a narrative ploy that often taxes the filmmakers' ingenuity. Still, the movie has a creepy authenticity. Read full review

Frank Scheck

Meant to be purposefully banal. Unfortunately, there's a thin line between purposefully banal and simply banal, and Ben Coccio's debut feature too often crosses it. Read full review

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User Reviews

HaroldG

Dec 9, 2005

Nothing short of a masterpiece!!! Just SEE IT...it's by far the best true-crime movie ever made! Too bad AVATAR ruined it with a crappy release. Not for the faint of heart. Coccio needs to make more movies.

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Tss5078

Jan 23, 2016

Generally speaking, I hate films that are shot on camcorder, but they do make things more realistic. This was a necessity for the film, Zero Day, which gives an in depth look at the psyche of two school shooters. The story isn't unexpected or anything you haven't seen before, but what makesGenerally speaking, I hate films that are shot on camcorder, but they do make things more realistic. This was a necessity for the film, Zero Day, which gives an in depth look at the psyche of two school shooters. The story isn't unexpected or anything you haven't seen before, but what makes this film unique is how the producers went about casting this film. The entire cast is made up of ordinary kids, with no previous acting experience, to that end, the entire immediate family of the shooters are also used in the film. Given that these kids weren't actors at the time, a lot of scenes also remain unscripted. The kids were told to just talk about things that make being a teenager tough, expressing dark, innermost feelings of rage and hatred of society. It was then that the writers wrote dialogue that corresponded with what these kids were saying. The result of this is one of the most realistic films I've ever seen. It was like actually being able to watch the video diaries of the Columbine shooters, expressing their feelings, and explaining their actions, prior to that tragic day. Both boys featured in the film are terrific and the way the Director just let the story flow, based on what these two kids had to say, was absolutely ingenious. I think this film was an amazing insight into the minds of troubled teenagers and I think it's a must see for anyone in the field of education.… Expand

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S.Lavelle

Aug 23, 2006

A rather lazy film; not as insightful as, say, "Elephant." Powerful lead performances cannot conceal the fact that the Coccios are too lazy to attempt to give reasons for the shootings, let alone answers. [***SPOILERS***] (The killers' repeated calls that there are no reasons for their A rather lazy film; not as insightful as, say, "Elephant." Powerful lead performances cannot conceal the fact that the Coccios are too lazy to attempt to give reasons for the shootings, let alone answers. [***SPOILERS***] (The killers' repeated calls that there are no reasons for their massacre is, of course, a paradox--one Ben Coccio does not even hint at exploring.) 6/10… Expand

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