Vengeance

BJ Novak wrote, directed and acted an intriguing story that is funny, suspenseful, sad, and clever. One of the best things is how heartwarming most the characters are! For a movie that's mostly about finding the truth there's a lot of brilliance and fun scenes. I think if I didn't have a regal subscription I probably wouldn't have seen in the theater regardless I'm glad I did Vengeance is very good, I'd still recommend anyone see it and it was nice how some older folks talked to me.

This is NOT Liam Neeson-style vengeance.

This isn't even an action-revenge movie.

It's a study in characters - of how people act in today's world. How do you spend your "time". It has guns, Whataburger, love, angst, drugs, and a heavy side of introspection. Everything's bigger in Texas, including the stereotypes.

This is not a movie I would've seen if it weren't for the "unlimited movie pass". That said, it's one of the best films I've seen this year, and certainly better than NOPE.

Twists? You bet. Happy ending? Depends on your perspective.

Vengeance? Fun. Definitely fun..

I don't even know how to really explain this film without divulging but suffice to say it's not what you may think. It shows how today's social media society is quick to judge and it shows how wrong or shallow that judgement can be. While each character has varying moments on the film, the entire cast is very, very good with their timely execution of their insightful and sometimes comedic lines. A lot of substance in this film so if you're looking for a little distraction like Thor, DC Pets or Minion, this is not the film. If you want some sound acting and solid characters, Vengeance is worth seeing (along with Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Where the Crawdads Sings)

I applaud B. J. Novak for creating something that felt authentic to our culture right now. There is a lot to like about this movie. It feels artful and thoughtful. There are some excellent lines in this film that feel raw, poignant, and true.

For some reasons that are hard to articulate, some aspects of this movie did feel a little flat and hallow. Maybe that was the larger point? Perhaps getting a bit meta: "Everything is everything. So nothing means anything." There just times I was expecting to bit hit a little bit harder.

I think if Ashton's character had been utilized more, I would've felt more satisfied. He was the majority of the intrigue for me. He was really good in his moments on screen. Really, really good. And I feel like that could've been played with more, expanded in more ways. He somewhat represented what I thought was "Vengeance"'s takeaway. I would've loved more.

After watching the movie, I was really surprised to see that the movie was not rated more highly by viewers and critics. I think part of the problem with its low rating is that it requires a lot of thinking about society and the way society works, which is very philosophical. That's hard to do, and that knocks out a lot of people, causing their eyes to glaze over in parts of the movie. Hence, a lot of people enjoyed the movie, but the sociology of 2022 in America is not their bag, so the movie got a moderately good rating overall and not a rating of excellent. That's fine. The movie is very insightful as to how society is working in the social media, Trump, Biden, woke age. If you enjoy thinking about these kinds of things, you will absolutely love this movie.

This is also a movie about Texas culture, and it offers good insight on the culture of any place that is desolate, poor, remote, and without much opportunity. The story takes place in a remote area of Texas, and my previous sentence is not a comment on Texas as a whole, although certain Texas cultural elements are certainly shown in the movie. Thus, this movie has good elements that are common in movies about the culture of the economically poor in America. So, if you like movies, like "Wind River," "The Tender Bar," and "Nomadland," you will like this one, as well.

Next, this is a good movie because it displays the importance of individual people as human beings. It argues that people matter.

Lastly , I liked this movie because it shows growth in characters in a meaningful way. You learn something good about life from the movie. The movie makes you think about life, as it points to some important things, which makes it satisfying and worthwhile. Thoughtful movie. Bravo!

I gave it an eight, and struggled to not give it a nine. So, 8.5. Overall, the movie has a sense of loneliness (not a criticism; it intends that), which is the main reason I didn't rate it higher. That's not a criticism of the movie, it's just a reflection of my tolerance level for loneliness!