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★
Directed by: #ThorMoreno
Written by: #ThorMoreno
Starring: #BrianCristophono, #ShawnMcAninch
Film Review by: Emily Davison
Vengeance Is My Name (2021) Film Review
After his partner is killed on a mission, undercover agent Brad (Cristophono) seeks revenge for the death of a friend.
Vengeance Is My Name (2021) is an American crime thriller produced by Innovative Pictures and is currently available on the globalviewproduction YouTube channel. The film’s synopsis is summarised as ‘a story of love, honor and revenge’ and follows a familiar formula for the typical revenge story, with surprisingly complex and difficult plotting which unfortunately brings entertainment value down.
The movie is filmed well for the most part, although the low production value does often raise its ugly head with poor dubbing and noticeably bad performances from some of the extras. Pacing is good due to the constant change in location to another gritty setting for confrontations to take place, however this is also one of the main drawbacks of the narrative.
There is simply too much going on with too many characters and a very overdramatic tone with questionable soundtrack choices, which causes any attempt at genuine emotion to mostly fall flat. Although, there are a few effectively tense torture sequences that are framed well, with one example being a sinister scene where a man tortures someone off-screen and casually answers a phone call before returning to his brutal task. However, a tighter screenplay with more focus would have helped deliver a more compelling, investing film. The lead has a pregnant wife who barely features in the movie and it is clear we are meant to care about what happens to her, but little to no development is given to both characters.
The film does present an interesting visual aesthetic, with fast motion photography and slow-motion often used to create highly stylised shots. Some are definitely eye-catching and entrancing, such as a long shot of Brad in a dream sequence standing in a field with a backdrop of lighting or standing in a dark street in the rain. Even though the style does spice up the messy screenplay, it isn’t always consistent and when these sequences do appear, it seems to be for show rather than to enhance the story.
Performances are serviceable, with Brian Cristophono effectively embodying the typical action hero persona up against a dodgy boss, Nicky (McAninch). The film does objectify its male lead very often, with him usually having his top off in many scenes and it does detract from involvement in the story, becoming repetitive and distractive.
Overall, Vengeance Is My Name is a disappointing, lacklustre viewing experience with few redeeming qualities. It certainly had potential, but exhibits confused direction, lacks a strong screenplay and ultimately does not maintain audience engagement due to its unfortunate drawbacks.
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