PLOT: Out in the Virginia woods on assignment, Harper (a nature photographer), knows how to handle herself in the wilderness, which comes in handy because she happens to stumble upon a bunch of rednecks beating a man to death. Her relaxing day goes to sh*t when they catch her sneaking pics of their evil deed.
LOWDOWN: As a born Yankee, the south has always seemed like a different world to me. It has its own set of rules (like a big city does), and since I grew up visiting family in the heart of Georgia, I can confirm that they do their OWN thing out there. It’s a DELIVERANCE type of character (clearly embellished, of course) that has always creeped me out. TRESPASS and JUDGEMENT NIGHT maybe the urban version of TCM and LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but when it comes to the woods, those who live in it, and hold ALL of the power, I tend to get a bit nervous. RAVAGE (WATCH IT HERE) sets its tale in Virginia’s Watchatoomy Valley. Which is the perfect choice for the deep unforgiving forest where our band of murderous hicks resides.
RAVAGE is a tight little piece of Grindhouse cinema that wastes no time putting our capable lead (maybe too capable?), Harper (Annabelle Dexter-Jones), through utter hell. Many times, we have seen this story: a woman abused and left for dead gets revenge on the men who did her wrong, but a small detail change gives this tale an interesting distinction. Taking a page from YOU’RE NEXT, RAVAGE doesn’t have Harper play the in-over-her-head woman who finds the strength to fight back but a nature survivalist type that can get handle herself with ease right of the bat. Oh, and these aren’t spoilers, by the way, as it’s the actual plot of the movie.
I’m not sure if it’s the brevity of life (or if I’m just tired and old), but torture porn and rape-and-revenge flicks seem to stress me the f*ck out lately. I’m more affected by these types more now than I’ve ever been. So I’m really here for the payback part, and RAVAGE succeeds at this. Even with its brief runtime (seventy-seven minutes), it manages to give us a hefty dose of comeuppance. Annabelle Dexter-Jones steals the show with a level of brutal precision and an almost poetic amount of minimal dialogue. In the first fifteen minutes, it’s clear that if anyone needs protection, it’s the small-town rednecks. Her resourcefulness and indifference to murder make for a far more entertaining watch than a re-telling of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. RAVAGE isn’t going for realistic but an updated Drive-in aesthetic that owes more to the films of that era than anything today. Robert Longstreet, who’s always great, plays the well-spoken ring leader who is just doing “what needs to be done” and plays up the crazy to a scene-chewing level. RAVAGE is worth the price of admission just for Longstreet and Dexter-Jones onscreen chemistry. Dern is only in one scene, and the less you know, the better. I didn’t want to leave him out of this review, but let’s say that he is great, as always.
Its Grindhouse predecessors heavily influence RAVAGE. It’s washed in a heavy golden-hue, with excessive close-ups and pulsing score that plays a more important role than I was expecting. It isn’t going for realistic or even slightly grounded, but an updated Drive-in aesthetic that owes more to the movies of that era than anything today. It’s a throw-back with a slightly modern bent that kicks ass visually. Ya, some of the dialogue is a bit too exposition-heavy, but when it’s just Annabelle Dexter-Jones hunting her captors in the majestic Virginia woods, RAVAGE is at peak cinema, and I loved it like a happy drunk on New Year’s Eve!
It’s hard to talk about a movie that is so short without ruining story beats, but there are a few issues that keep this from being a better experience. The logic here is “keep the story going,” and you have to accept a few dumb decisions because if it. If you see a weapon up for grabs, then GRAB the damn thing. Will a dirt bike get you out of the valley? Better grab it asap. Harper was usually one step ahead, which is what’s refreshing, but to keep the cat and mouse game up, she has to do things to prolong the fight, and it is annoying at times, which kept me from investing fully into the action. She may have been too strong at times, and it creates a break in the tension, knowing she could probably leave whenever she wants.
GORE: We never focus on the gore, and though this is violent, it’s pretty tame for the type of movies that have influenced it. I’m grateful for the blood/gore that we do get, but I could have used a lot more.
BOTTOM LINE: RAVAGE is a good movie with a great lead and one hell of an entertaining villain. This baby is quick, and to the point, but with a longer run time, they could have eliminated certain plot holes and helped the story make more logical sense. Director Teddy Grennan does great with his first film and knows his craft well, while his cinematographer Christopher Walters is the real MVP here. RAVAGE is one gorgeous looking movie that pays tribute to its influences proudly and works best when it lets the visuals tell the story. Because this is too short, RAVAGE feels somewhat incomplete. Maybe we will get a sequel? Maybe a trilogy? Who knows, but I’d love to see Harper continuing kicking ass and taking names. Until then, I say check this out!