Infamous is a 2020 American crime thriller film written and directed by Joshua Caldwell. It stars Bella Thorne, Jake Manley, Amber Riley, Michael Sirow and Marisa Coughlan.
Living in a small Florida town and working at a diner was never Arielle's dream life. She's always wanted more. Fame. Popularity. Admiration. When she falls for a recently paroled young criminal named Dean, she drags him back into a life of danger, learning that posting their criminal exploits on social media is an easy way to viral fame. Obsessed with their rising number of followers, they embark on a dangerous adventure together that leads to robbery, cop chases, and even murder. Heading to Hollywood, the City of Stars, they will realize what it takes to become famous and must decide if this dangerous lifestyle is really worthwhile.
Not related to the video game Infamous.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Dean's father is an alcoholic who beats his son when he gets drunk. Dean is only living with him because the conditions of his parole require that he lives with a parent and his mother is dead.
- Bank Robbery: Arielle and Dean stop at the home of Kyle, Dean's contact. Kyle's crew plans to rob a bank but needs an extra gunman. Arielle wants in, but Dean thinks it is a bad idea. He wants to leave and go to Mexico, but Arielle holds firm, wanting the money and the followers.
- Blast Out: The Mexican Standoff in the bank ends when Kyle takes his eyes off Arielle for a second to glance at Dean, and Arielle pulls the gun she has tucked down the back of her short shorts. She plugs Kyle between the eyes and everyone else fires. When the shooting stops, Arielle is the only one still standing.
- Convenient Misfire: During a convenience store robbery, Arielle is wounded when the clerk grabs a shotgun from under the counter and fires a shot that hits her in the shoulder. She is only saved when the gun misfires as he attempts to take a second shot.
- Cop Killer: Initially Arielle and Dean are robbing marijuana dispensaries: crimes which they think the police and feds will have little interest investigating. However, when a cop gets suspicious during a routine traffic stop, Arielle guns him down. And their notoriety suddenly skyrockets.
- Death by Falling Over: When his father attacks Arielle, Dean throws him off her. The older man falls down the staircase and breaks his neck.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Dean gets fatally shot during the botched bank robbery and dies in Arielle's arms, telling her that now they will both get what they want.
- Fame Through Infamy: Two young lovers rob their way across the southland, posting their exploits to social media and gaining fame and followers as a result.
- Filching Food for Fun: After robbing the dispensary, Arielle grabs a handful of candy from the bowl on the counter on her way out.
- Instant Web Hit: Arielle is obsessed with social media but has very few followers. One night, she goes to a party where she gets into a fight and beats up a girl while everyone at the party films the fight and posts it on social media. Arielle immediately gains 147 new followers. This later gives her the idea of livestreaming footage of her and Dean robbing the gas station, which gains her 3000 followers. She keeps doing this through their crime spree; gaining more than 3 million followers.
- Leg Focus: Arielle seems to have an aversion to covering her legs and spends most the movie in extremely abbreviated denim cut-offs. During the final Blast Out, she draws a pistol she has tucked down the back of her shorts.
- Mexican Standoff: One happens among the bank robbers after police surround the bank as a result of Arielle livestreaming the robbery on social media. Kyle pulls a gun on Arielle, Dean pulls a gun on Kyle, and the rest of the gang pulls guns on Dean. Kyle even refers to it by name. It ends in a Blast Out.
- One-Word Title
- Outlaw Couple: Arielle and Dean are two young lovers who rob their way across the southland, posting their exploits to social media and gaining fame and followers as a result.
- Pants-Positive Safety: During the final Blast Out, Arielle pulls a large pistol she has tucked down the back of her extremely short denim cut-offs.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Arielle, who will not put her phone down even while committing armed robbery.
- Pretentious Pronunciation: Arielle was named after the character in The Little Mermaid. However, she hates this fact and insists that everyone pronounce her name "Ar-ee-AHL".
- Punk in the Trunk: Arielle and Elle smuggle Dean through a police roadblock hidden in the trunk of Elle's car: inside a large duffel bag under several other items.
- Selfie Fiend: Arielle is this at the start of the movie. It moves into Social Media Before Reason when she keeps posting selfies of her committing robberies when she and Dean are on their cross-country crime spree.
- Small Town Boredom: Arielle is convinced that she is destined to be famous and has no interest in staying in what she calls a "speedtrap town" in south Florida. She wants to get out and get to Hollywood, even if she has to resort to crime to do it.
- Social Media Before Reason: Arielle is obsessed with becoming famous and live streams the crimes committed by her and Dean on social media. This inevitably puts the authorities on their trail.
- Staircase Tumble: When his father attacks Arielle, Dean throws him off her. The older man falls down the staircase and breaks his neck.
- Two Shots from Behind the Bar: Arielle is almost killed when she attempts a solo convenience store robbery and is distracted by a customer entering the store. As she looks towards the door, the clerk grabs a pump-action shotgun from under the counter and looses a shot at her.
- Villain Protagonist: Two young lovers rob their way across the southland, posting their exploits to social media and gaining fame and followers as a result in an attempt to win Fame Through Infamy.
