Vengeance

Name: Vengeance
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Comedy
Released: July 29, 2022
Rating: 65
Cast: Analeigh Tipton, Ashton Kutcher, B.J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook, David Hight

2022

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Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 51 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 51 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: July 29, 2022

Starring: Analeigh Tipton, Ashton Kutcher, B.J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook, David Hight, Dove Cameron, Eli Bickel, Grayson Berry, Isabella Amara, Issa Rae, Ivan Hernandez, J. Smith-Cameron, Melissa Chambers, Nathaniel Augustson, Ryan Hammond, Sarah Minnich, Sean Dillingham, Zach Villa

Summary: Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster from New York City, travels to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with.

Director: B.J. Novak

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Comedy

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Soren Andersen

Jul 27, 2022

It’s a detective story. It’s an insightful commentary on the state of us, which is to say us, the U.S., in this divided, disjointed, distracted age. It’s a comedy, sharp and frequently hilarious. It is, above all, consistently surprising. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Jun 15, 2022

Even when the jokes miss the mark or the central mystery seems too easily solved, Vengeance is sustained by the question of what its characters mean to each other; a question asked sweetly but shrouded by an ever-growing darkness that allows the film to wander into dangerous territory by the end. Read full review

Peter Travers

Jul 29, 2022

As actor, screenwriter and dynamite debuting director, a seriously funny B.J. Novak takes aim at an America broken by disconnection. He doesn’t always hit his target, but when he does this tale of a New York liberal battling Texas gun nuts comes alive with mirth and menace. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Jul 29, 2022

Vengeance is a small but ambitious film, and the murder mystery is its weakest element: Novak has so many threads going that he doesn’t quite know how to tie them up. But he’s made a shrewd satire that’s a pleasure to watch. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Jul 29, 2022

A jumbled, fitfully amusing, occasionally fascinating effort, but one that shows promise even when it's stumbling over its ambition and falling prey to some of the same stereotypes about "red" and "blue" (or reactionary and progressive) America that it keeps intimating that Americans need to get beyond. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Jul 28, 2022

Vengeance, while earnest, thoughtful and quite funny in spots, demonstrates just how difficult it can be to turn political polarization and culture-war hostility into a credible narrative. Its efforts shouldn’t be dismissed, even though it’s ultimately too clever for its own good, and maybe not quite as smart as it thinks it is. Read full review

Simon Abrams

Jun 13, 2022

The scattershot new media satire Vengeance might have been merely a toothless provocation replete with both-sides false equivalences were it not so well-scripted and well-directed on a scene-to-scene basis. Read full review

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User Reviews

Serengeti

Aug 18, 2022

This is an excellent movie. I had heard nothing about it and checked metacritic and saw the great fan reviews it was getting. Decided to go check it out. Went with a friend who also knew nothing about it, and we both loved it. Ben, a podcaster/writer in NY, has had a brief fling with aThis is an excellent movie. I had heard nothing about it and checked metacritic and saw the great fan reviews it was getting. Decided to go check it out. Went with a friend who also knew nothing about it, and we both loved it. Ben, a podcaster/writer in NY, has had a brief fling with a young woman who goes back home to TX, where she dies from an overdose. Ben gets a call from Abbie’s brother telling her she has died and assuming he is coming to her funeral. Ben goes and meets her family, who are under the impression that Ben is the love of her life. Her brother thinks she was murdered, and Ben can’t resist the call of a good story. He pursues people and leads trying to find out what really happened to Abilene. The family is fun to watch as they aren’t the typical movie dysfunctional family. They are sweet and loving to each other and treat Ben like a family member. This movie is entertaining, engrossing and funny. Highly recommend it!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MarkHReviews

Aug 5, 2022

BJ Novak is best known for his role as Ryan Howard, a character in the US version of “The Office.” After “Vengeance,” he may well become better known as a writer and director.

Novak also stars in this film as Ben Manalowitz, a writer and podcaster in New York City. Following a series ofBJ Novak is best known for his role as Ryan Howard, a character in the US version of “The Office.” After “Vengeance,” he may well become better known as a writer and director.

Novak also stars in this film as Ben Manalowitz, a writer and podcaster in New York City. Following a series of opening scenes that establish his self-regard, Ben receives a call that Abilene, a casual hookup, has died. Her family is under the misperception that Ben is the love of her life. Ben attends her funeral in West Texas and decides to explore the story behind her death while also crafting a podcast based on the characters (and they really are characters) he meets along the way. Ben also deludes himself into thinking this is a chance to offer his own profound pronouncements about the general state of America.

Clearly, Novak’s script has a lot of balls in the air. He serves up a murder mystery. He explores the quirks and kindness of Abilene’s family, a clan that turns out to be utterly appealing. It makes a few observations about the wider world. The script does all this with a lot of heart and several plot twists and jokes at Ben’s expense.

Most of all, Novak skewers the condescension regularly aimed at the Red States, while demonstrating that Texas does offer plenty of quirky comic material. FYI, Abilene’s sisters are named Paris and Kansas City. “Unique” names, by the way, are a rich tradition in the Lone Star State. In the late 1800’s, James Stephen Hogg (later to become governor) named his only daughter Ima. The story, widely reported, that Ima had a sister named Ura is apocryphal.

“Vengeance” benefits from a stellar supporting cast that includes Issa Rae (“Insecure”) as Ben’s podcast boss, Boyd Holbrook (“Narcos”) as Abilene’s grieving brother, J. Smith-Cameron (“Succession”) as Abilene’s mother and a strong performance by Ashton Kutcher as the owner of a small town recording studio who seems to be equal parts kind, self-aware and predatory.

Not everything works here. The murder “mystery” is ultimately pretty mundane. But the dialogue crackles and there are several laugh-out-loud moments. A sampling: “This is El Stupido. It’s okay, Ben. He doesn’t speak Spanish.” “’Y’all’ is a cultural appropriation.” “In my life, everything starts with a regret… It’s all regrets. Make ‘em count.” It’s all buoyed by a pervasive tone of appreciation for others and self-deprecation that redeem the movie’s venial sins.

In a world that’s overstocked with condescension and people who see life as a series of chances to puff up their self-worth on social media, this film is a compelling antidote. In this case, “Vengeance” is just, merciful and very, very funny.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

FootballJones

Sep 4, 2022

Surprisingly solid movie with a great twist. It overerformed. Another Blumhouse winner!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Voodoo123

Oct 14, 2022

This slow paced dramedy flutters between comedic / parody / drama tones. The cast is excellent and the screenplay is stimulating. The bland cinematography, music and editing fail to excite me beyond feeling anything other than average levels of enjoyment. Still it was entertaining to watch.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Dunkaccino

Nov 25, 2022

A movie that features naturally charming people saying borderline funny things in long, awkward conversation scenes.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Jan 2, 2023

In what can be determined as elements that adequately serve the satire, I must admit that Vengeance has more than one that did its job, but as for its overall performance, Vengeance clearly wanted to break expectations, but it's surprising that B. J. Novak in his directorial debut gives theIn what can be determined as elements that adequately serve the satire, I must admit that Vengeance has more than one that did its job, but as for its overall performance, Vengeance clearly wanted to break expectations, but it's surprising that B. J. Novak in his directorial debut gives the lead role to himself and settles for delivering an impressively listless performance in a plot that only seems to be half-heartedly trying to build something, but is never properly completed.

Perhaps what wasn't adequately developed here will serve as a lesson for Novak to learn to focus himself better and maybe on his sophomore attempt, he'll deliver something worthy of a greater amount of attention, because this is not it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

januarysixteen

Feb 5, 2023

Bottomline: Imagine a coastal elite fantasy. You're a NPR-style liberal writer. And John Mayer is your best friend. And you guys have one-night stands. And one of those one-night stands is obsessed with you. But she meant nothing to you. And you find out she dies. And the family begs you toBottomline: Imagine a coastal elite fantasy. You're a NPR-style liberal writer. And John Mayer is your best friend. And you guys have one-night stands. And one of those one-night stands is obsessed with you. But she meant nothing to you. And you find out she dies. And the family begs you to go to the funeral. And you must solve the murder because the hick-town locals are stupid. Like Pauly Shore movie stupid. And they need your detached, elite, above-it-all intelligence to help. And you monetize your hick tourism to make yourself famous with a podcast. And you get your elitist chance to rant at them about Covid. Fittingly, imagine Ryan from the office had a podcast about the futility of America and solving a murder and his own self-importance. That's this movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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