ComedyMysteryThriller

Vengeance

- Find the story before it finds you.

A journalist and podcaster from New York City travels to West Texas in order to report on the death of a girl he was hooking up with.

Release Date : 2022-07-29

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Blumhouse ProductionsFocus FeaturesDivide / Conquer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ben Manalowitz

Original Name : B.J. Novak

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ty Shaw

Original Name : Boyd Holbrook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sharon Shaw

Original Name : J. Smith-Cameron

Gender : Female

Character Name : Eloise

Original Name : Issa Rae

Gender : Female

Character Name : Quentin Sellers

Original Name : Ashton Kutcher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Abilene Shaw

Original Name : Lio Tipton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kansas City Shaw

Original Name : Dove Cameron

Gender : Female

Character Name : Paris Shaw

Original Name : Isabella Amara

Gender : Female

Character Name : El Stupido Shaw

Original Name : Eli Bickel

Gender : Male

Character Name : John

Original Name : John Mayer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Granny Carole Shaw

Original Name : Louanne Stephens

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sancholo

Original Name : Zach Villa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crawl

Original Name : Clint Obenchain

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff Jimenez

Original Name : Rio Alexander

Gender : Male

Character Name : Det. Keith St. John

Original Name : Ryan Hammond

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Dan

Original Name : Ben Whitehair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Mike

Original Name : Grayson Berry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rowdy Stranger #1

Original Name : Nathaniel Augustson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rowdy Stranger

Original Name : Sean J. Dillingham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sancholo's Thug

Original Name : Ivan Hernandez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy

Original Name : David Hight

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Intern

Original Name : Tracy S. Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Texan Line Dancer

Original Name : Adrianne Lovato

Gender : Female

Character Name : Texas Tech Fan

Original Name : Micah McNeil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : Mike Miller

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Sarah Minnich

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hipster

Original Name : Bronwen Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : NYC Hipster

Original Name : Aaron Rogers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sancholo's Associate

Original Name : Tony Sedillo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Diner Patron

Original Name : J. Nathan Simmons

Gender : Male

Character Name : Whataburger Waitress

Original Name : Avalon Stone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Artist / Original Artwork

Original Name : Dora Woodrum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Darlene Kellum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Not Sancholo (uncredited)

Original Name : Gonzalo Robles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeremy Warner

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Melissa Chambers

Gender : Female

Reviews

rsanek

@rsanek

2022-10-07

Amazingly well-done. Film gets especially good in the last 20%, super rare!

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-10-21

When "Ben Manalowitz" (auteur B J Novak) gets a phone call, he leaves his New York home to travel to a remote desert community to find out what happened to a girl he had once hooked up with. Upon arrival he realises that this could be the subject for a serious podcast and so sets out to find her killer - at the behest of her brother "Ty" (Boyd Holbrook) - and simultaneously to offer an analysis of just how these folks live their lives - such a contrast to the style of fast-paced urban dwelling he is used to, and manna from heaven to his producer "Eloise" (Issa Rae). The storyline itself is rather procedural, but there is a decent degree of humour in this film - especially starting with the man-to-man chat at the top of the film which shows neither in a particularly good light. Thereafter some sparingly entertaining contributions from Ashton Kutcher help ginger this along in a sort of film noir style. The quirkiness of the townsfolk's real existence - centred largely around a burger bar; the characterful personalities and an equally effective score from Finneas O'Connell all help to generate a decently paced and quite compelling mystery that I found myself drawn into more than I was expecting. Novak isn't a great actor, but the writing - ultimately offering us an opportunity to evaluate his character and his flaws as much as of anyone else; the developing scenarios and the whole sense of mischief here do most of the heavy lifting allowing us to enjoy the concept without necessarily having to appreciate the acting scene by scene. I really did rather like the ending too.

The Movie Mob

@mooney240

2022-11-01

**Vengeance is a decent movie with big questions, funny moments, and endearing characters that loses itself in trying to do too many things all at once.** Vengeance wears a lot of hats (or stetsons, I guess). It begins as comedy, then social and political commentary, murder whodunit, and existential evaluation. Growing up in a small western town made parts of the story even more endearing and slightly offensive. The Whataburger and football jokes are 100% true in the heartland of the USA. Thankfully, the lead character's judgmental tone when he first arrives in this tiny Texas town shifts as he develops respect and affection for the people he interviews and befriends. Vengeance tries to be many things and gets messy in parts where it tries to be a little too clever, but there are parts where it pulls it off as well. I enjoyed where the story ended as the lead finds purpose and family after facing the reality of his own emptiness, loneliness, and pretentiousness. I appreciate what this movie was trying to do with its pursuit of truth and meaning, but it probably tried a little too hard, leaving me with an unsatisfied feeling as the credits rolled.