Complicit
By Winnie M Li
TW: Sexual discrimination, sexual harrassment, sexual assault
Complicit takes place early in the #MeToo world, with an investigative reporter researching allegations against producer Hugo North. Sarah Lai is a community college teacher who is interviewed by NY Times journalist Thom Gallagher about her experiences as an associate producer on the movie Furious Her. Through flashbacks, Sarah’s thoughts, and interview transcripts, readers are drawn into the sordid behavior behind the scenes.
After college, Sarah went to work at Firefly films as an unpaid intern working closely with writer/director Xander and producer Sylvia, eventually moving into a paid position. They go to the Cannes Film Festival, hoping that a screening of The Cold Hard Blue can attract investors to pay for post-production costs and raise money for their next movie, Furious Her. Enter Hugo North, who will provide funding if he joins the production company.
Hugo uses his money to turn the production company, now called Conquest, to move the movie from New York City to Los Angeles. Money means power, and Hugo uses his power in questionable ways. Sarah appears to have opportunities as an associate producer but finds herself being dragged into Hugo’s dark world. Is Sarah another name on the list of Hugo’s victims, or is she complicit in Hugo’s indiscretions? Could she be both?
I added trigger warnings to this review because Complicit triggered me. I had to walk away from the book multiple times and almost didn’t finish it. Li’s description of the toxic work environment was excruciatingly vivid. While the #MeToo movement was sparked by the entertainment industry, too many women can relate to the story in Complicit. I can relate because my early career was in a similarly toxic work environment. The book’s detail can bring up unpleasant memories for women pushed down by The Good Old Boys’ Club.
Complicit goes beyond the explicit assaults and harassment used to subjugate women. Sarah’s experiences depict women facing the horrible choice of either compromising themselves and other women or getting forced out. One of the most painful aspects of Complicit is the impact the toxic environment had on women in the workplace. As women fought for relevance, they also undermined or ignored other women’s struggles. Complicit uses interview transcripts about other women’s views on Sarah and the production company to show the cruelty and lack of sensitivity to other women trying to deal with a toxic environment.
Complicit is not an easy read. It’s a fascinating look into movie making. But Li pulls no punches when she’s exposing the open wounds of the toxicity behind the scenes. Yes, the reader may be uncomfortable with the explicit detail. But Complicit succeeds because it makes the reader uncomfortable.
Li pulls no punches when she’s exposing the open wounds of the toxicity behind the scenes. The reader may be uncomfortable. But Complicit succeeds because it makes the reader uncomfortable. @winniemli @NetGalley @EmilyBestler Share on X
Thanks to NetGalley and Emily Beslter Books for providing a review copy of the book.
