PLOT: A radio host finds an intriguing story for a podcast after receiving an unusual call. The call is from a man that believes the host was his deceased sister’s boyfriend.
REVIEW: One of the joys of watching a movie without prior knowledge is when it takes an unexpected turn and its nothing like you thought it would be. When asked to cover the movie Vengeance, I decided to go in cold. All I knew, it was the directorial debut of B.J. Novak, and it featured Boyd Holbrook – admittedly, I’m a massive fan of the actor. Frankly, that was enough to keep me invested. And yes, I always was aware of the title. And considering we’ve seen guys like Jordan Peele and John Krasinski take on pretty dark material, I wasn’t sure what to expect. While Novak’s latest isn’t as twisted or scary as those fine gents features, it is an impressively constructed satirical mystery. And yes, Mr. Holbrook is excellent. The same is true about Novak, Issa Rae, and J. Smith Cameron, all adding to this intriguing tale.
B.J. Novak is Ben Manalowitz, a radio host from New York City always looking for the perfect story to explore. When he gets an unexpected call from a man named Ty Shaw, he discovers he may have something special. It appears that a girl Ben casually knew had died. And thanks to an Instagram post, Ty believes Ben was his sister’s boyfriend. Ty explains that they must take revenge for the tragic events. Having had simply a casual relationship with the woman in question, Ben is curious about the situation. In hopes of uncovering an original story, he goes to Texas for the funeral to meet Ty’s family and turn it all into a podcast. However, once he arrives, the question of the cause of her demise opens up a real mystery Ben is not prepared to take on.
Vengeance is a fascinating work. Considering this is his directorial debut, Novak has taken on a challenging topic. One of the most impressive things about the script is the balance. The filmmaker’s take on a fish out of water story could have fallen into parody. Novak’s character Ben finds himself living with a very conservative Christian family. One with far different views than his. While the idea of a family confusing him for their daughter’s boyfriend could have been ridiculous, it’s not. When Ty first calls the man he doesn’t know, you expect the comedy to come from that. Yet the people that Ben joins isn’t the joke. They are grieving and desperately want to punish those they think killed their daughter. Yes, there is humor, but not at one side’s expense.
The performances are all-around impressive. B.J. Novak is excellent. Issa Rey excels as his producer. The members of his “girlfriend’s” family are especially well cast including, Isabella Amara, Eli Bickel, Dove Cameron, J. Smith-Cameron, Lio Tipton, and Louanne Stephens. Smith-Cameron is especially effective as the family patriarch. When she venomously tells Ben, “bless your heart,” you know he’s in trouble. As silly as they can come across when we first meet them – they call the youngest sibling ‘El Stupido’ – there is a reason for everything. And it’s not goofy or insulting, many of the things that seem silly come from a very grounded place. As smug as Novak’s Ben can be, he is easily relatable as well. Novak isn’t making fun of anybody here, and that’s refreshing.
Speaking of family, one of the stand-out performances here aside from Smith-Cameron is Boyd Holbrook. The actor gives one of his best performances as a brother looking for vengeance. Like the rest of his family, his overly trusting and good old boy personality could’ve easily been treated as a joke. Thankfully, the script and his excellent performance only add to this unique feature. The relationship that Boyd and B.J. share is especially compelling. As the two actors play off of each other, the idea of the unlikely duo finding some common ground is all the more honest, thanks to their fine work and this script. These elements help make the final act especially compelling.
Another surprise here is casting Ashton Kutcher as a flashy record producer. Do you all remember Rebecca Black? That ear-worm of a song she recorded called “Friday?” Well, that is the kind of producer Ashton’s Quentin Sellers is, offering a chance for teenagers to record a “hit song.” Like the rest of the actors, he brings energy to the role. The colorful side characters, like Sellers, add a ton of Texas flair to this satirical feature. Perhaps my only strong negative feelings from the movie came at the end. That’s not to say that it’s not a good ending, its actually very effective. To say much more would risk spoiling it, but there’s a difinitive choice made and one that is likely to give a different reaction to many. It’s a bold move by the director.
Vengeance is part comedy, part thriller, with a little mystery thrown in. B.J. Novak has created a refreshingly satisfying directorial debut with this. The cast is terrific, especially Boyd Holbrook and J. Smith-Cameron, and I enjoyed how Novak’s Ben connected to the Shaws’. The script is sharp and takes a few risks. No matter how you feel about the final moments, this is a satisfying debut from the actor, and I look forward to seeing what Novak has planned next. Vengeance opens this Friday, and it’s easy to recommend this original and satisfying new flick.