The bonds of brotherhood are both torn and strengthened in director Andrew Neel’s unsettling Goat, a brutally naturalistic depiction of the ruthless codes of fraternities during pledging season at a Southern college. Centered by riveting performances from Ben Schnetzer and Nick Jonas, this taut adaptation of Brad Land’s 2004 memoir is less a dramatized depiction of headline-grabbing hazing tragedies than a penetrating consideration of the psychology of violence and its role in defining manhood. It’s a tough sit, but nonetheless a film that should draw adventurous audiences receptive to provocative drama. Check out the movie trailer below
