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A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Former child actress Mackenzie Vega portrays as Sam Gleason,a High School cheerleader who was gang-raped, in this TV movie entitled "The Assault".Gary Weeks co-stars with Vega as the Sam's supportive father Dan together with Khandi Alexander as Detective Jodi Miller who was assigned to investigate the rape case in this television film directed by Jason Winn.Pretty cheerleader Sam got drunk one night after breaking up with her boyfriend footballer Reed.Unfortunately,the rest of the football team took advantage of her drunkenness after Reed left and brought her to a room to rape her.This led to Sam into committing almost committing suicide.After she was hospitalized,Sam,Gary and her friends started to investigate what occurred that night through the collection of data gathered from social media to assist Detective Jodi Miller to bring down the people responsible for it.While it was evident that we are treated to a typical and predictable story having a theme about rape,the performances somehow raised it into becoming a better-than-your average TV movie.Mackenzie Vega did well in her portrayal as Sam as she gets to emote very well from the hurt and trauma that she experienced from getting rape until her determination to bring down the guilty people when no one among the members of the football team and the cheerleaders would talk.It was interesting how the gathering of social media was used.That element of the story provided interest in the story.Finally,one would get treated to an above average Lifetime TV movie having rape themes.

Lifetime Movie inspired by the 2012 Steubenville High School rape case. Cheerleader Vega attempts suicide by self-immolation, setting into motion events that could make the community's beloved football team accountable for a very serious crime. Very dramatic for the better. Still, way too cookie-cutter in terms of structure, and the story unravels more like a mystery/thriller than a drama with something important to say. There's also the need to explain too much, indicating an underestimation of the viewer. Khandi Alexander is memorable as Detective Jodi Miller. Buckner's first role in seven years. Good if you have nothing better to do.**½ (out of four)

Lifetime does a lot of movies warning kids of what can happen if they aren't careful, and most of them present a realistic story that might actually happen that way. This movie isn't one of those. Still, the message is right and the story is interesting enough, even if it is totally unbelievable. Also, the acting and directing are decent enough. While I feel the father could have been just a little more devastated than he was presented, the portrayal was far better than the usual rabid angry dad most such movies would have. The main problem I have with the movie that I cannot believe the story presented would ever happen that way in real life.For parents: The subject matter is a gang rape ... enough said.Several issues I had with the plot:1) A girl pours gasoline over herself and lights a lighter, setting only her arm on fire. And, her ex-boyfriend tackles her and somehow puts out the fire without even a blanket? Gasoline is far more volatile than presented. Don't try this at home, kiddies.2) The girl is released from the hospital on some contrived-sounding explanation that her suicide attempt was some sort of temporary PTSD and the Doctors know it won't happen again? It sounds so made-up, it would have been far better if they simply didn't bother to explain.3) It is stated or implied that video evidence was posted to the internet, and somehow the culprits were able to retrieve it before the police could get a look at it or copies. Once it's out there, it's out there.4) The victim just happens to voice an objection which, by clipping the beginning and what comes after, can be made to look like she was consenting to be gang banged? I do not believe a girl confronted with that situation would say NO that way. It came across as a contrived piece of lazy writing.5) The culprits made video evidence? This was an absolute clear-cut case of gang rape, not some other form of sexual assault foolish high school kids might think was minor. Not one of the several perps objected to taking video of their crime?6) She screamed like a banshee. There were several people downstairs, and the music wasn't all that loud. Why didn't someone burst in on them?7) She was conscious through the entire event, and can remember none of it? Alcohol can cause some memory black-outs, but the whole thing? At no point did anyone say she was roofied. I don't recall the cops even checking? Date rape drugs remain in the hair until it grows out to the point it's cut away. We are talking a couple years the evidence would remain.

Dressed as a cheerleader, an attractive young woman walks tearfully onto a high school football field and sets herself on fire. Fortunately, she survives with only minor arm burns, thanks to handsome football player Pierson Fode (as Reed Johnson). In the hospital, we discover more about our heroine - specifically, cute 17-year-old Makenzie Vega (as Samantha "Sam" Gleason) reports being sexually assaulted by a football player. Later, "The Assault" allegedly involves more players. Kind and exceptionally sympathetic police detective Khandi Alexander (as Jodi Miller) is assigned the case. She views Ms. Vega as a brave young accuser, but realistically notes a prosecution will be difficult as Vega was drunk and doesn't recall the incident...If it were any more predictable, a video of the gang-rape would turn up and prove the victim's case; it's also possible a flashback could be employed. Writer Jennifer Maisel makes Vega more interesting with single father Gary Weeks (as Dan) and director Jason Winn adds hints that her childhood friend Amy Bruckner (as Frankie) may want a same-sex relationship - but neither really lifts the drama above ordinary. Malik Yoba (as Tim Miller) plays the conflicted coach and Christopher Foley aka Cristopher Knight Roberts (as Christopher "Chris" Burch) tackles the main villain role well; both have effective scenes with Ms. Alexander. Photographer Brian Crane favors intimate over-the-head-and-shoulder scenes and John Stimpson edits them nicely.***** The Assault (9/20/14) Jason Winn ~ Makenzie Vega, Khandi Alexander, Gary Weeks, Christopher Foley