You probably wouldn’t expect a movie on Netflix about teen revenge to be of such high quality. Yes, I’ve shown my hand before, but despite Do Revenge having its own issues, it’s still a movie that, for the most part, isn’t completely unlikable. The lack of decent writing and character development is an ongoing problem with films of this genre. Oh, and the characters are superficial. Such narratives are devoid of nuance and gravity, as their sole purpose is to pique the interest of the typical young moviegoer in order to generate revenue. Keep in mind that the genre has been largely commoditized, and Netflix has, in the majority of cases, become the unsuspecting facilitator of this process.
Revenge
Do Revenge casts aside those low, outdated industry standards and has a new, albeit somewhat dark, twist that manages to indulge relevant competing ideas about gender differences and patriarchy. Despite the twist being a bit on the dark side, it’s still a welcome addition to the genre.
Honor Society, starring Angourie Rice, is another great film that you shouldn’t miss because it has a similar atmosphere. Despite the fact that the two projects go in different directions, several aspects of Do Revenge brought back memories of them. The plot of Do Revenge centers on an unlikely friendship that develops between two women consumed by the desire for revenge. Drea (Camilla Mendes) is in perfectenschlag. She couldn’t have written a more compelling underdog story for herself if she had tried. However, everything collapses when his former partner, who was not his “ex” at the time, exposes a “private film” that she sent him.
In front of the whole school, she punches Max (Austin Abrams), who is a big deal and has a rich dad. As a result, she receives a temporary suspension from school. Future winters will see Drea attend a tennis camp, followed by community service. Eleanor, played by Maya Hawke, is a rather reserved and honest girl. She will be attending Rosehill, which is Drea’s school, in a few months. This is the person she meets at the camp.
They begin to converse and it soon becomes clear that each of them is nursing a recent emotional wound in their hearts. They are driven to exact revenge, and they pledge to do so by taking out their anger on the other party’s respective victims. A real connection develops, but Drea is forced to face a dark truth from her past that hangs over her head like a thick cloud, which helps her put things into perspective. To begin with, the most important. The quality of writing in Do Revenge is undeniably above average. It’s its main Unique Selling Proposition (USP), something the vast majority of its competitors typically don’t have. Besides having amazing personalities, the characters in the story are neither one-dimensional like the plot, nor predictable like it. They have been carefully developed and supplemented to some extent. Their arches, which are meticulously crafted within the narrative itself, are given significant attention and attention.
Listening to them converse is emotionally compelling since the dialogue is neither corny nor corny. The vast majority of it is adjusted to meet billing requirements. Their issues only come to light after thorough questioning and cannot be resolved until they are revealed. Besides that, they have a wonderful chemistry with each other. There are times when hearing Drea and Eleanor go at it is so entertaining that you might be tempted to go back in time and let them start over.
Even in the role of adversaries, they succeed and manage to deliver a menacing intensity that’s not only effective but also doesn’t come across as a shocking detour. The dialogues Maya Hawke has with Austin Abram are also truly amazing, despite the fact that they can often be too realistic for their own good. And once you identify the characters, the rest of the work will be much easier because they will be the ones leading you in the right direction.
Do Revenge never loses the lively vibe that makes films in this category so fun to watch, despite deviating significantly from the standard teen movie formula. The story still centers on two young women who struggle to come to terms with their feelings as they navigate their teenage years and the world around them. One thing that the writers do very well to avoid doing is turning the story into a mid-term coming-of-age story. There have been countless companies in the past that over the years have taken refuge in this allied archetype to give the appearance of sincerity. Do Revenge has run its own course from the very beginning and stays on that course until the end. The overall performance of the set is quite complete. The script does a fantastic job of identifying its top priorities, and director Jennifer Robinson makes excellent use of the resources available.
Thematically, there are errant feminist overtones that get on the nerves. Their appearance feels like a forced obligation that the film would have preferred not to take on. It’s likely the thought process behind this was to use it in the process of making the story more inclusive, as well as multi-dimensional, and appease specific parts of the audience. A significant amount of time was wasted on an unnecessary romantic subplot involving Drea and Russ (played by Rish Shah, who most recently appeared in Disney’s Ms. Marvel). That time might have been better spent. One thread that was never resolved was the unexplored romantic bond between Eleanor and Gabbi (played by Never Rarely Sometimes Always’s Talia Ryder), which had the potential to develop into something truly remarkable. It was unfortunate that someone with Ryder’s talent received so little screen time.
There’s near-perfect harmony between all the sections, resulting in a finished product that’s memorable and perhaps even worth revisiting. Even if the Shyamalan twist in Do Revenge hadn’t been there, the tale wouldn’t have been in danger of being ruined. It would have succeeded despite being a conflict between two fearsome friends and foes under the guise of a bittersweet story. Camilla Mendez and Maya Hawke are the ones leading the pack with authentic turns as they have a good understanding of their characters.
Do Revenge, offering a smart, modern twist on Hitchcock’s age-old classic idea of two strangers meeting and embarking on an eye-opening journey, while making themselves a smart contender for People’s Choice awards, unless a strange slide into mediocrity. Do Revenge puts a smart, modern twist on Hitchcock’s age-old classic idea of two strangers meeting and embarking on a revelatory journey.
