At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I think the premise of this film is very intriguing, but I think the execution was flawed. The actors were all very well cast and played their roles brilliantly, but I think the script was a bit shoddy in some places and could have benefited from being longer and fleshing out the characters a bit more- the potential was there but the back stories weren't fully utilized. The story could have done with more development as well- it felt a tad rushed in places.That being said, I think this film is (sadly) very relevant to the world today. It has an important message that needs to be heard, and so far this is one of the only (if not the only) films that touches on this subject matter. It deserves a wider audience because it really does have a lot to say.I think the film was well cast, with Norman Reedus and Garret Backstrom giving great performances. They really make you care about their characters, which from the premise of the film clearly isn't the easiest thing to do, but that is really the whole point. The script and the direction could have been better, but overall the film succeeds in doing what it set out to do- make you think.

I was hoping this film might add something to the debate about school shootings in America, but unfortunately it does not. The story of Herman Howards, a bullied and ridiculed young kid in high school, who decides to finally show people what they're doing to him: he walks into his school, laying waste to many students and teachers with guns and pipe bombs. Herman is familiar; he's like all the real school shooters who ended up taking lives needlessly because they were traumatized personally. I have sympathy for those who are bullied- I was in juniour high school, and it was awful. However, there's a difference between having sympathy and agreeing with what someone has done. School shootings have a lot of angles to consider- one major angle being the availability of guns to people, and particular young people, in the U.S- but this film goes in too many directions, never really going for one angle instead of a bunch.The acting was all right. Mainly Norman Reedus carried the acting here. Even the kid who played Herman wasn't that great, though there were a few moments I enjoyed from him. Unfortunately acting can't make up for the lack of a decent plot. It's too simple. They're not really saying anything here. I gave this a 4 out of 10 because of Reedus, and also the willingness to tackle a really tough subject for American audiences. Other than that, I would say skip it. I was waiting on this awhile, but now I'm thoroughly disappointed.The one thing that I did enjoy here Reedus' character, and his backstory. He was involved with some undercover reporting, a la Hunter S Thompson with the Hells Angels, which of course eventually goes bad. Basically we get more depth into the character, how he has not always necessarily been an "innocent", and took part in something brutal. Though this is another area the film also falls short- they never really gave me a satisfying conclusion to the character and his demons. It was a very intense setup, but I don't feel like they paid it off in the end.Find something else to watch, unless you have some time to waste. There are a couple other films involving school shootings, particularly Zero Day, that use the premise more effectively, and with much more impact.

This film dares to take a look at the problem of school shootings by looking at the problem of bullying and cyber-bullying, which are, sadly, continuously relevant aspects of everyday adolescence. This is a great movie for parents to watch with their high school kids-- even in middle school-- both to teach them about why bullying is wrong and to give them strength in overcoming their own potential bully issues in school. It also invites a dialogue about bullying in schools which is EXTREMELY important and not a common enough occurrence.Hello Herman is a movie full of different perspectives, so it doesn't dogmatically side with the victims or the shooter. To give you an idea of how bold this film is willing to be, the protagonist is a former White Power member who beats a young black boy to death. Whoah, right? Everyone is full of vices that they can't seem to overcome, which is a rare find in this cinematic age of super heroes and seemingly flawless do-gooders.

Michelle Danner's Hello Herman is truly thought provoking. The film's primary timeline follows the aftermath of a tragic school shooting, and, most startlingly, does so from the point of view of the killer himself (played by Garrett Backstrom). Herman (Backstrom) agrees to do interviews with the film's main character, Lax (Reedus), and it is through the course of these interviews that the full story is uncovered. The film is truly powerful, and does what I think many films are afraid to do, which is showing both sides of the story. I think its true success lies in the fact that it never forgives Herman necessarily, but highlights the humanity behind his role, and reminds viewers that the key to stopping these incidents of violence is not more violence, but perhaps more understanding. That's how I saw it, anyway. Excellent movie, a must-see.