Hate Watching The In Crowd: Snake Handlers and Sociopaths

Hate Watching with Dan and Tony

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What makes a psychological thriller truly captivating? In this episode, we crack open the vault to examine "The In Crowd," a largely forgotten gem from 2000 that perfectly captures the post-Cruel Intentions era of teen psychological thrillers.
From the moment Adrian steps out of a psychiatric institution and into the pristine world of an exclusive country club, we're drawn into a world of wealth, privilege, and deeply disturbing secrets. The film's queen bee, Brittany, takes a suspicious interest in Adrian that goes far beyond simple friendship. As we discover, Adrian bears an uncanny resemblance to Brittany's mysteriously absent sister – a coincidence that proves increasingly sinister as the story unfolds.
We unpack the film's most memorable moments – from Adrian casually handling a venomous snake to the hilariously over-dramatic scooter accident that sends Kelly flying. While "The In Crowd" never reaches the erotic thriller heights of its contemporaries, it delivers surprising moments of genuine entertainment amid its predictable plot. The golf club murder scene, Simple Wayne's disturbingly decorated mannequin, and Brittany's masterful manipulation tactics provide fascinating glimpses into a thriller that could have been truly great with a few different creative choices.
What fascinated us most was the film's missed opportunity to create genuine suspense by never making the audience question which character is truly unstable. Despite presenting Adrian as potentially unreliable due to her psychiatric history, the film immediately establishes Brittany as the true villain, removing any possible ambiguity that might have elevated the story.
Whether you're revisiting this forgotten thriller or discovering it for the first time, join us for a deep dive into a movie that, despite its flaws, stands as a perfect time capsule of early 2000s psychological thrillers – complete with all the questionable fashion choices, flat lighting, and country club melodrama you could possibly want.

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Chapters

1. Introducing Hey Watching with Dan and Tony (00:00:00)

2. The In Crowd and Mary Lambert's Directorial Journey (00:06:36)

3. Movie Setup: Adrian at the Institution (00:15:16)

4. Country Club Dynamics and Character Introductions (00:25:45)

5. Beach Parties and Romantic Tensions (00:36:51)

6. Brittany's True Nature Revealed (00:51:42)

7. Murder and Manipulation (01:06:48)

8. The Final Confrontation (01:17:56)

9. Movie Wrap-up and Next Week's Pick (01:23:09)