Vengeance is a 2022 dark comedy crime thriller written and directed by B.J. Novak (The Office), in his directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12th, 2022. A New England native, Novak was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and is often seen coming or going at Boston’s Logan Airport. A very intelligent guy who actually wrote several episodes of The Office, Novak graduated from Harvard with a degree in English and Spanish literature. He also went to high school in Newton with The Office co-star, the great John Krasinski, also a native of Newton. In an era of streaming services being the most enticing option and theaters harder and harder to reach, Novak was adamant he wanted Vengeance to get a theatrical release. He went to Jason Blum of Blumhouse, who is known for giving opportunities to first-time filmmakers while also giving creative control, and his dream became a reality.

The comedy crime thriller genre-hybrid tells the story of journalist and podcaster Ben Manalowitz who travels from New York City to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with, landing head first in what could be his biggest story yet.

The cast includes B.J. Novak, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, Boyd Holbrook, J. Smith-Cameron, Dove Cameron, Isabella Amara, Eli Bickel, and John Mayer.

Vengeance made it’s debut in theaters on July 29th, courtesy of Focus Features.

THE GOOD

A few months ago, I was sitting in the movie theater as I often am watching the previews for upcoming films. To be honest, I am often on autopilot as the trailers play mainly because I have seen all of them several times, but this time was different. A trailer played that admittedly felt unusually long at 2 1/2 minutes, but this was something that was new to me and it had me intrigued right from the opening. The trailer for Vengeance was perfectly made, even if it may have given away some of the good parts, and after watching it I knew I had to see this movie. It seemed to have everything, tons of laughs, a cool setting, and what seemed to be a spider-web of a murder mystery that was sure to keep me engaged. Plus, I love me some B.J. Novak from his days on The Office, and who doesn’t enjoy a little Ashton Kutcher from time to time? Release day was finally here and as a Focus Features release Vengeance had a slightly limited release so I had to go out of my way to be able to see it. So, was it worth my time or was I fooled by a well-crafted trailer? Keep reading to find out!

No joke, I would have driven two hours to see this movie, it was that good. Not only did Vengeance exceed my expectations, but the movie as a whole was also so much more than I had anticipated. Although the trailer had me sold, I was expecting a comedy that was maybe an action/thriller hybrid without much substance, and boy was I wrong. The writing for this film is just so, so good, and the characters are amazing and just feel uniquely authentic. I was immediately immersed in the world Novak was able to create with one of the better screenplays in recent memory, and I felt like each character played a pivotal role in the story. In many ways, Vengeance is a character study focusing on raw human emotion, and the overall disconnect between people thanks to the age of social media. Novak who plays the lead role in the film helps to drive this narrative, and he crushes it. I know I am describing a movie that doesn’t really sound all that entertaining, but I promise you it is. Vengeance felt relevant and heavy in all of the right ways, and more than anything else I felt connected to what was happening on-screen, and that is the impact a great film is supposed to have on viewers.

Alright now that I got that out of the way, I will talk about what made Vengeance flawlessly entertaining from start to finish. This film hits in all of the areas that matter, with a great screenplay as I mentioned, a talented cast bringing these characters to life, a fantastic West Texas setting, and just the right amount of calamity. Now the trailer lays the groundwork as far as why the overall backstory of the film is so intriguing, but it does come together in ways not fully shown in the trailer. From the opening scene which is simply a mesmerizing back and forth of sadness masked with insecurity and a fear of commitment between Novak and a character known only as John, played by the one and only John Mayer, we are off and running.

Novak’s character Ben is basically a poster child for what is wrong with people today, and he finds himself on a crash course that will change his life forever. Even though the plot feels a bit over-the-top, at least initially, it holds so much weight than I originally anticipated and had me captivated and wanting more. Plus, once the story unfolds you will take a step back and be like wow, I did not expect that. In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and loyalty. And even more than that, it is about the main character coming to the realization that he is living a very unfulfilled life, he is just missing the real reasons as to why that is. Plus, what an ending! I did not see it coming I will say that. Also, the pacing was fabulous and the film absolutely flew by. Andrew is our resident scout for all things relating to the Academy Awards, but I firmly believe Vengeance is deserving of at least a nomination for best original screenplay.

The cast is a huge reason why the film worked so well, and it all starts with B.J. Novak. Thanks to such a great screenplay we feel like we know Novak’s Ben character very early on, and this helps to make the connections to other characters that he meets along the way feel that much more impactful. Now because the premise of the film is that Ben is simultaneously creating this podcast and refers to everyone as the characters in the story, it adds a unique layer of depth for viewers as we see the relationships transform throughout the film. The first connection Novak makes is with Boyd Holbrook who plays the brother of Ben’s late “hook-up/girlfriend”, and I thought he was fantastic in this role. I really like Holbrook as an actor and love that he is starting to get more roles. I actually hope to watch and review last year’s horror movie The Cursed which he also starred in soon.

My next favorite character would have to be J. Smith-Cameron, who most recently broke out as Gerri Kellman on the hit HBO drama series Succession. In Vengeance, the Louisville, Kentucky native plays the loving but no-BS mother of the late girlfriend. Her chemistry with the Novak and the rest of the cast is a big reason why the film works so well. In many ways she reminded me of the character played by Jean Smart in the HBO series Mare of Easttown, which is a huge compliment. Ashton Kutcher plays a pivotal character with a great amount of depth, and I thought he was great in his role. Issa Rae, who is awesome as usual, also plays a very important albeit fairly small role in the film. The supporting cast consisting of Dove Cameron, Isabella Amara, Eli Bickel, and Zach Villa, were all fantastic. I especially liked Bickel in only his first acting role aside from a short film back in 2018. Also a big shoutout to Louanne Stephens, a native of Dallas, Texas, because who doesn’t love a badass no-filter having grandma.

Had a hard time finding an image of my guy Eli Bickel, so here he is with Ashton Kutcher at the films premiere. Credit to Getty Images.

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the technical elements of the film, which are a driving force in their own respect. Filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I loved the setting which helped to make the story feel so immersive, especially considering you couldn’t help but feel the culture shock of Ben going from New York to West Texas. We get some great shots thanks to cinematographer Lyn Moncrief that allow the environment the opportunity to be expansive and lived-in which was important. I also loved the soundtrack by Finneas O’Connell as it accurately captured the raw emotion of the more pivotal scenes throughout the film. I also have to give a shoutout to the editing team as not a single scene felt wasted or unnecessary.

THE BAD

If you have been paying attention, it should be obvious that I have very little negative things to say about Vengeance. I suppose you could try and say it is a bit too woke for some viewers, but the beauty of the film is the fact that it makes it a point to show more than one viewpoint or perspective, which is why it works so well. Social commentary is sprinkled throughout, but it never feels out of place or forced. People will likely have mixed thoughts on the films ending in terms of the build-up and ultimate conclusion which is understandable, but I personally really liked it especially considering the element of surprise to go along with the other twists and turns. Plus, the pacing was just perfect in my opinion. I may take some flack for the lack of criticism especially for a debut film, but Vengeance really hit hard for me and made it very hard to pick apart. And you know what, I will take that as opposed to the latter any day of the week. So yeah, I am looking forward to what B.J. Novak does next.

THE VERDICT

An exceptional debut film from writer/director B.J. Novak that may earn him a nod for best original screenplay, Vengeance is a unique dark comedy with considerable substance and flawed yet genuinely relatable characters. I just can’t say enough about the characters that were brought to life in this film, and as far as I am concerned they exist in real life and you won’t convince me otherwise. As high as my expectations were, I did not expect the experience I was treated to when I sat down in that comfy movie theater recliner. The film is as much a comedy crime thriller as it is a raw character study of the lack of true connection in our disconnected world, and the simple fact that we are all so quick to judge each other without taking the time to learn and understand. I felt the transformation that occurred for the lead character throughout his journey of self-discovery, and in a strange way, I felt like it changed me as well. Vengeance is packed full of amazing dialogue that constantly made me take a step back and say wow, that is deep. Novak is stellar behind and in front of the camera, and more than anything else he tells a story that matters and truly resonated for me. It was clear from the beginning this was a passion project for him, and he deserves all of the credit in the world for making his vision a reality.

I know some people will say “I can’t picture Novak as anyone other than his Ryan Howard character from The Office”, but that is just the beauty of it because he perfectly encapsulates that character for this role. A guy who is so easy to dislike, yet you find yourself curious and reeled in any way thanks to his obvious intelligence albeit sometimes condescending personality traits. So many scenes from Vengeance made me feel something which to be honest I did not expect, and for me, that is what film is all about.

Jason Blum and Blumhouse took a chance with B.J. Novak’s debut film, so let’s do our part to support high-quality and original filmmaking by seeing Vengeance in theaters sooner than later, you won’t regret it. I personally cannot wait to see it again.