Shadows on the Wall

Vengeance

dir-scr BJ Novak
prd Jason Blum, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath
with BJ Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Issa Rae, J Smith-Cameron, Ashton Kutcher, Lio Tipton, Dove Cameron, Isabella Amara, Eli Abrams Bickel, Louanne Stephens, Zach Villa, John Mayer
release US 29.Jul.22,
UK 7.Oct.22
22/US Focus 1h47

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Refusing to get locked into a genre, actor-filmmaker BJ Novak is even playing with this movie's title. Beginning as a fast-talking comedy with something dark lurking underneath, this film sends its central character into an amusingly alien culture before shifting into a mystery thriller. Novak is taking a sharp-edged exploration of how complicated interaction can be, noting that there's always much more to a story that anyone expects.

Looking for new story ideas, New York journalist Ben (Novak) gets a call that casual ex Abi (Tipton) has died, and he's unable to say no to her emotional brother Ty (Holbrook), who expects him to attend the funeral in rural Texas. Then Ty insists that she didn't actually die of an overdose, and that Ben helps track down the killer and avenge her death. Seeing this as a potential podcast, he contacts his friend Eloise (Rae) about producing it. But the deeper he digs, the messier things get. And the more involved he becomes.

Instead of "yes", Ben has a habit of glibly saying "a hundred percent", and the question is whether this out-of-control situation can puncture his pretentious attitude. Everyone Ben meets challenges his perspectives, from Ty's riotously lively mother (Cameron) and siblings to a philosophising record producer (Kutcher) who encourages Ben to listen to the world rather than talk at it. The way he blithely condescends to and exploits the local culture is cleverly written and played. So is how he begins to connect with this community on a much more resonant level.

Even with a heightened comedic tone, performances are grounded across the board, cleverly resisting each of the stereotypes that play into the premise. Novak walks a careful line with Ben, who isn't always likeable as he provokes people around him while failing to actually see them. But his journey is engaging, as we root for him to open up. Expert supporting ensemble cast members continually add humour, heart and pointed observations, often with improv-style authenticity that's bracingly powerful. Each one has standout moments.

Packed with personal touches, this is a reminder of the ways people can surprise us. And it's also a bold exploration of how there's always a much bigger story than the one people accept without questioning it, mainly because we're so easily distracted. And while it's consistently amusing, this is also a very dark look at American society, from issues of addiction and injustice to the nature of media coverage itself. So where it goes is shockingly serious.

themes, language, violence 2.Oct.22

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