Do Revenge (2022) Netflix Movie Review – Grippy teen comedy has a sadistic flair

You probably wouldn’t anticipate a movie on Netflix about teenage vengeance to be of such high quality. Yes, I have already shown my hand, but despite the fact that Do Revenge has some problems of its own, it is still a movie that, for the most part, is not completely unlikeable. The absence of decent writing and character development is a perennial issue with films of this genre. Oh, and the characters are shallow. Such narratives are devoid of nuance and gravitas, as their sole purpose is to pique the interest of the typical youthful moviegoer in order to generate revenue. Bear in mind that the genre has been extensively commoditized, and Netflix has, in the majority of cases, become the unsuspecting facilitator of this process.

Do Revenge brushes aside those low, outdated industry standards and has a new, albeit somewhat dark, twist that manages to indulge itself in relevant competing ideas about gender differences and patriarchy. Despite the fact that the twist is a bit on the dark side, it is still a welcome addition to the genre.

Honor Society, starring Angourie Rice, is another excellent film that you shouldn’t miss out on seeing because it has a similar atmosphere. Despite the fact that the two projects go in separate directions, several aspects of Do Revenge brought back memories of it. The plot of Do Revenge centres around an unlikely friendship that develops between two females who are consumed with a desire for revenge. Drea (Camilla Mendes) is in perfectenschlag. She could not have written a more compelling underdog story for herself if she had tried. However, everything comes crumbling down when her old partner, who was not her “ex” at the time, exposes a “private film” that she sent to him.

In front of the entire school, she punches Max (Austin Abrams), who is a big deal and has a rich father. As a result, she receives a temporary suspension from the school. The upcoming winters will find Drea participating at tennis camp, followed by community service. Eleanor, played by Maya Hawke, is a girl who is mostly reserved and honest. She will be attending Rosehill, which is Drea’s school, in a few months. She is the person that she meets at the camp.

They start conversing, and it soon becomes clear that each of them is nursing a recent emotional injury in their hearts. They are motivated to exact vengeance, and they make the agreement to do so by taking their anger out on the respective victims of the other party. A genuine connection develops, but Drea is forced to confront a gloomy truth from her past that hangs over her head like a thick cloud, which helps her put things in perspective. To begin, the most important thing. The quality of the writing in Do Revenge is undeniably higher than average. That is its primary unique selling proposition (USP), something that the vast majority of its competitors typically do not have. In addition to having amazing personalities, the people in the story are neither one-dimensional like the plot, nor is it predictable like it. They have been thoroughly developed and rounded out to some extent. Their arches, which are meticulously designed inside the narrative itself, receive a significant amount of focus and attention.

Listening to them converse is emotionally fascinating since the dialogue is neither run-of-the-mill or cheesy in any way. The vast majority of it is adjusted to meet the requirements of the billing. Their problems are only brought to light after extensive questioning and cannot be resolved until they are revealed. In addition to this, they have wonderful chemistry with one another. There are times when hearing Drea and Eleanor go at it is so entertaining that you might be tempted to rewind the clock and let them do it again.

Even in the role as adversaries, they are successful and manage to offer a threatening intensity that is not only effective but also does not come across as a jarring detour. The dialogues that Maya Hawke has with Austin Abram are also really amazing, despite the fact that they can often be too realistic for their own good. And once you’ve got the characters figured out, the rest of the job is going to be a lot simpler because they’re going to be the ones to lead you in the right direction.

Do Revenge never loses the lively vibe that is what makes films of this category so fun to watch, despite the fact that it deviates significantly from the standard formula for teen movies. The story still centers on two young women who are struggling to come to terms with their feelings as they navigate their adolescence and the world around them. One thing that the writers do very well to avoid doing is turning the story into a coming-of-age story halfway through. There have been an infinite number of undertakings in the past that have, over the course of the years, sought refuge in this allied archetype in order to provide the appearance of sincerity. Do Revenge follows its own course from the very beginning and stays on that course all the way to the very conclusion. The overall performance of the ensemble is quite well-rounded. The screenplay does a fantastic job of identifying its top priorities, and director Jennifer Robinson makes excellent use of the available resources.

Thematically, there are some stray feminist undertones that are grating on the nerves. Their appearance gives the impression of being a forced obligation that the movie would have preferred not to undertake. It is likely that the thought process behind this was to utilize it in the process of making the story more inclusive, as well as multidimensional, and to placate specific parts of the audience. A significant amount of time was wasted on an unneeded romantic subplot involving Drea and Russ (played by Rish Shah, who most recently appeared in Disney’s Ms. Marvel). This time may have been better utilized. One thread that was never resolved was the unexplored romantic connection between Eleanor and Gabbi (played by Talia Ryder from Never Rarely Sometimes Always), which had the potential to develop into something truly remarkable. It was unfortunate that someone with Ryder’s talent received such a small amount of screen time.

There is an almost perfect harmony between all of the sections, which results in a finished product that is memorable and perhaps even worth viewing again. Even if the Shyamalan twist in Do Revenge hadn’t been there, the tale wouldn’t have been in any danger of being ruined. It would have succeeded despite being a conflict between two formidable friends and foes in the guise of a bittersweet story. Camilla Mendez and Maya Hawke are the ones who lead the pack with authentic turns because they have a good understanding of their characters.

Do Revenge, providing an intelligent modern twist to Hitchcock’s age-old classic idea of two strangers meeting and setting themselves on a revealing journey, while at the same time making itself a smart contender for popular choice awards, barring the odd slip up into mediocrity. Do Revenge provides an intelligent modern twist to Hitchcock’s age-old classic idea of two strangers meeting and setting themselves on a revealing journey.