The Doctor’s Diagnosis: B+
Vengeance, the directorial debut of B.J. Novak, is a dark comedy and a refreshingly neutral social commentary about the blending of cultures from red and blue states. A surprisingly original film to (briefly) creep into about a thousand theaters nationwide, Vengeance is an engrossing and often funny film that offers biting commentary on the two sides of American society without ever making a clear endorsement of either side of the coin. In a modern Hollywood that is obsessed with both blockbusters and endorsing a singular political ideology, Novak has somehow managed to sneak a small, character-driven film through the system that isn’t the narrative equivalent of a condescending speech at the Oscars.
Basically a fish-out-of-water story, Vengeance stars Novak (who also wrote the film) as a “journalist” (actually a podcaster) named Ben that receives a phone call from the family of one of his one-night stands. The girl (Abby) has died of an apparent overdose and also told her family in Texas that her relationship with Ben was far more serious than he thought that it was. He is invited to the funeral in Texas and, upon arriving, discovers that the family is convinced that she was actually murdered because she never took drugs. Ben sees this as an opportunity to mock the unsophisticated locals as a means of launching his podcast and decides to go along with the investigation.
I generally despise social commentary in modern film because it is entirely one-sided, portraying sophisticated progressives and barbaric conservatives. Vengeance takes a big, satirical bite out of both sides while also providing a damning commentary on the modern obsession with, well, commentary and the need to turn every human story and conversation into entertainment. Ben’s reaction to genuine tragedy and misery is to record it; not to offer a solution or help or even genuine empathy, but to provide commentary for listeners and use it for personal gain. He is a cultural and emotional vulture that views sincerity as a quaint thing to exploit for the more sophisticated. He is, in a sense, the villain of the story for a good portion of it.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Texan Shaw family that initially conveys the naïve simpleton cliché that dominates northern and west coast views of people that disagree with them. They have guns, they go to rodeos, they are obsessed with Whataburger (which I’ve never heard of, but apparently they love it in Texas “because it’s always there!”), etc. They are stereotypical rednecks. But they have values and a strong family unit that is in direct contrast with the pure cynicism of Ben. This dichotomy brings some solid laughs from the usual odd couple, blending-of-cultures type of situations, but also brings some genuine moments of reevaluation from both sides that is refreshing in a modern film.
As time goes on, the film also becomes a clever subversion of those stereotypes. Ben is gradually revealed to have a soul and is more than just a pseudo-intellectual opportunist. The family members are not the innocent vessels of southern values that they seem to be. These are flawed characters, but flawed in a way that counters, rather than reinforces, the simplistic cultural division that is often shoved down our throats in such narratives. Some of the monologues a bit too on the nose, but everyone is three-dimensional with their own flaws and strengths. Everyone can learn to appreciate and sympathize with the other side. Have I used the word “refreshing” yet?
On the slight downside, the resolution to the mystery is thematically fitting but narratively disappointing. It is a variation on Occam’s Razor (which essentially says that a simple answer is more likely to be correct than a complex one) and it goes with the theme of subverting stereotypes very well, but it is a bit ho-hum as the resolution to a murder mystery. It is the more dramatic equivalent of finding out that Doug was just on the roof the whole time in The Hangover; it makes perfect sense, but doesn’t live up to the preceding investigation in a more serious movie like this. Perhaps the resolution will grow on me with additional viewings, but this left me with a nagging feeling of “that’s it?”
Vengeance is a strong directorial debut from Novak, who is essentially playing his character from The Office in a darker tale. I am legitimately looking forward to seeing where he goes as a director. Although flawed, Vengeance is a highly entertaining black comedy that often reminded me of the excellent The Kid Detective in terms of tone, but it also comes with refreshing (have I used that word yet?) observations. Perhaps just commenting on something isn’t a valuable contribution to society (I ironically say as a film critic). Perhaps your opinion doesn’t entitle you to be a self-righteous asshole. Maybe people with different opinions and lifestyles will have something valuable to say if you actually listen to them. All good thoughts that I was not expecting from a comedic murder mystery.
Image by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vengeance_(2022_film)#/media/File:Vengeance_(2022_film).jpg
