Violent Ends review: A revenge movie that takes the long way around
‘Violent Ends’ is a protracted quest for vengeance by a man who spent his life avoiding his family’s criminal legacy.
Many are familiar with the phrase, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” However, not everyone has the patience for it. For those with the stomach for it, they may find the need to turn off their feelings to achieve their goals. Intentionally hurting someone, by any means, requires some level of callousness, even when it feels justified. For most people, it requires acting in a manner that’s out of character. But pain and grief can be a powerful motivator, causing the afflicted to do things they never thought possible. In Violent Ends, a man becomes the monster he spent his whole life trying to avoid.
The Frost family are a major crime organization operating out of Arkansas, primarily dealing in cocaine and meth. Lucas Frost (Billy Magnussen) spent his life refusing to be a part of the family business. Now, he’s marrying Emma (Alexandra Shipp) and finally moving away from it all. But tragedy strikes before he can leave and drags him into a life he has always hated. With the help of his brother, Tuck (Nick Stahl), and the disapproval of his police officer mother (Kate Burton), he sets off on a mission of revenge that pits him against his kin (James Badge Dale). But violence begets violence and there will be no shortage of bodies by the time the smoke clears.
This is a slow-burn revenge film that takes its time — maybe too much time — working up to the calamity and then through its perpetrators. Lucas is not a criminal or a killer, so he’s unsurprisingly bad at trying to shakedown people for information. Consequently, it’s a long and clumsy journey to vengeance. But when the floodgates finally open, the blood flows freely.
To that end, the film would benefit from some tightening. Writer-director John-Michael Powell’s sophomore script lays out a promising character arc, but the pacing will alienate many viewers. The extended amount of time leading up to the unofficial investigation and Lucas’ inept attempts to find the killer make it difficult to stay engaged with the narrative.
Yet, if audiences make it to the last act, they are rewarded with an improved pace and some shocking developments. Lucas is not a practiced criminal, but after several generations it’s in his blood. The longer he pursues the murderers, the closer he gets to unleashing the monster he’s kept buried deep within himself. They aptly use the metaphor of a rattlesnake that always has the ability to kill, but only does so when it chooses.
However, there’s little satisfaction in this eye-for-an-eye tale of revenge. Unlike other films in the genre, it’s not fast and glossy with sleek action choreography. Instead, it’s gritty and savage, replacing skill with painful determination. There’s no room for heroic admiration when there can be no winners.
Director: John-Michael Powell
Starring: Billy Magnussen, Nick Stahl and James Badge Dale
