It was a great storyline about an issue that has gotten worse. Yet, the girl who was a victim didn't speak to her parents and then expected them to not react or have a say so. Really. Teaching kids that it is okay to be abused/beaten whatever for which NOW today even horrific what they do.

At the risk of being redundant, I have to join the other reviewers here who hated the ending of this film. At least our dismay shows how fully we bought into this story and hated what the 5 Popular Girls did to poor Haley.Kudos to the actors playing the popular girls, who think that "disrespect" means someone "deserves" a beating and who long so much for their flash of Internet fame, the majority of them never do seem to regret making the video that will condemn them. I was especially impressed by the realistic unevenness of them helping Haley into a car after the beating, and one of them giving her a cola. It was a touch that cemented their inability to understand the full gravity of what they'd done. I didn't mind Haley not fighting back when her supposed "friends" turned on her. She was clearly outnumbered, and her bewilderment and helplessness made her all the more sympathetic as a victim (both to the viewer and to the prosecution). She was never a character who would strike out in anger. I even understood her accepting a plea deal, rather than go through the horror of a trial and risk the girls getting life in prison (while I would not have minded seeing them get life, I understand that crimes committed by stupid teenagers perhaps shouldn't ruin their entire lives). When her mother stands up and tells the judge that the family is willing to accept a plea, I was fine with that -- but when she adds that the family is requesting the most lenient possible sentence, I found myself shouting at the television in a Not-So-Good way. There ARE a lot of choices between "life in prison" and "probation with time served," after all. It's one thing to not strike out at people in anger, or to refuse to escalate a violent situation further by fighting back. But the film confuses this often-laudable principle with not demanding justice. Only one of the five attackers ever shows regret or shame for what they did. The others delight in it, and in the fame it brings them. They don't want to go to jail, but to the bitter end they seem to blame Haley for what is happening to them, rather than blaming themselves. We are given no indication that other girls will be safe in the future... and I find that especially dissatisfying.

Clearly religious propaganda which is odd because religion is never mentioned, but the whole "forgiveness and don't fight back" themes obviously have strong religious undertones. In essence the message is forgive people no matter what they do to you regardless if they are sorry and turn the other cheek. Somehow, the idea goes, this makes you a better, stronger person.Applying that to the movie at hand we get a disturbing video of five teenage girls beating up another teenage girl to the point she has some hearing and vision loss. Of course they video it so the evidence is clear. Rather than show remorse they bask in their new found fame. The traumatized victim goes through various stages, but ultimately feels that holding the girls accountable for their actions would be "fighting back" and make her no different than them. Uh, yeah it's that wacky. So in the end all is forgiven. The girls get various slaps on the wrist and the victim walks out triumphantly because "now she can handle the media." This might have played a tad better if only a couple scenes before this one of the girls and the victim wind up in a public restroom together and it's clear the victim is still terrified of her. So there is that.Anywho so if you or someone you know is the victim of a violent crime like assault, rape or murder just forgive your attackers (if you are still alive) and go on about your life like it never happened. For that matter I'm guessing the makers of the movie would say don't even bother reporting it to the police because that is too much like fighting back.The movie is actually pretty well made and is fairly entertaining but the message is so nauseating one star it is.

After seeing this film I thought it was a great concept in showing how nasty the internet can be & how nasty & viscous people can be, especially girls! I found the fighting scene was extremely upsetting, incredibly disturbing & physically sickening! The idea how the parents thought eh girls were just "Playing Around" annoyed me as it clearly wasn't not to mention the whole "All girls fight" petty excuses to make them more innocent than what they were! It served them right! Although I hated the ending! They got lightest punishments because Haley didn't want to think it was vengeance like what they did to her! Although what they did to her was beyond sickening &, in my opinion, would not have been an act of vengeance to give them life! Which is what they damn well deserved & what I certainly would've gave them!Overall, a great film! But an extremely crappy, terrible, obnoxious ending! 8/10