299. Vengeance; movie review

 

VENGEANCE

Cert 15

108 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, brief violence

Surprise of this year at the cinema? It may well be B.J.Novak's Vengeance.

I knew nothing about this movie and after its first few minutes thought that I would loathe it after an opening scene in which two friends brag about their sexual conquests.

And then one of them (Novak) receives a tearful call that will change his life from the brother (Boyd Holbrook) of one of his casual flings (Lio Tipton).

Novak's character, Ben, is sideswiped because the sibling tells him his sister is dead and believes he is her steady boyfriend.

Indeed, he insists that the New Yorker flies to a remote town in Texas to attend her funeral.

So, Ben suddenly finds himself on the front row and even giving a eulogy to a girl he barely knew.

However, the movie really begins to take hold when he delves more into her life and death and finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her family.

Thus, as a writer, he sees the opportunity for their story to be adapted as a reflection of little-seen America.

And, he develops his thoughts for a podcast as he attempts to unveil what happened to the lass whose demise has been passed off as an overdose.

Vengeance is a lesson in not making assumptions about people or situations.

Indeed, every time the audience thinks they understand either, a twist prompts them to change their minds.

This particularly applies to Novak's Ben. Initially, he seems appalling but, long before the movie's denouement, we found ourselves inwardly cheering him on.

It requires a quality actor and writer to create such nuance.

Reasons to watch: Unusual and gripping thriller

Reasons to avoid: Takes a while to get into its stride

Laughs: One

Jumps: One

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? There were a total of 131,084 violent crimes in Texas in 2020, or 446 for every 100,000 people — the 15th highest violent crime rate among states.

The final word.  B.J. Novak: 'I would love people to come away with the message that people are surprising and complex and we can surprise ourselves." Digital Trends

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