Vengeance

I didn't think I'd enjoy this in the beginning, but I unexpectedly LOVED it. This movie has so many great lines. The ending was the cherry on top.

[spoiler]"Everything means everything, so nothing means anything."[/spoiler]

**Pleasantly surprised. Outside of a few misconceptions, it undeniably captures the essence of small towns in Texas. Bides its time and hits hard.**

What a brilliant, little film!
Surprisingly funny, poignant, insightful, nihilist, political and self-aware.
It has something to say about everything and everyone: red-pillers, pop-pillers, right-wingers, pseudo-intellectuals, narcissists, content-creators and content-consumers.
A defining film for the individualistic, post-truth America/Western world of the 21th century.

Starts slow and makes you wonder where it's going.
Metro guys with a testosterone deficiency like Ben Manalowitz are just not my cup of tea.
Unlikely events and decisions his character makes do not help here.
But all in all, I liked the Texas vibe and where the story reveals deeper meanings..
Ashton Kutcher plays his character well and believable.
Don't watch this when you expect a thriller or action movie.
But I guess that's obvious by now!

Vengeance is an excellent film. I wasn't sure what to expect but as it evolved I found it to be extremely charming - connecting with the idea of what is America? From the lead character to the family members, that make up most of the supporting cast. Boyd Holbrook needs more roles like this (instead of constantly being the villain).

More B. J. Novak writing and directing projects please.

I didn’t pay much attention in the first half of the movie but I really liked it. Everything Ben said at the Whataburger is what many people think about TX and the South. Some of those things are true but it’s so much more is complex. I loved how things ended. No regrets.

Surprised at how touching this is. It's also funny and introspective with a clever driving narrative. But it does end a bit too abruptly, and I can see how the final twist could be polarizing.

It starts out as self-absorbed. Then you realize it is you who are self-absorbed. And then the ending impacts you more. Kudos, B.J.

Watched the movie just because of Novak. At the beginning thought what type of movie was it and that I weren't going to like it. 15 min after I was enjoying it. Such an awesome cast, good performances and perfect writing.

This is B. J. Novak's theatrical debut as a triple threat writer/director/actor. I always take a particular interest in these types of films, as they are probably the closest that Hollywood ever gets to delivering a truly singular artistic vision. So, how successful was Mr. Novak's vision? It's interesting, this was a case where I really think the writing is what carried the day. The story is clever and compelling, with plenty of thought provoking ideas and commentary. The meta aspect of the podcast allows the film to include both self-aware pseudo-intellectual musings, as well as more genuine intellectual musings. In both cases, the dialogue is well written and the performances excellent. The movie's humor is also plentiful and well executed, never feeling out of place with the mystery/thriller elements. As far as story criticisms go, I do think the finale feels a bit too Hollywood, but the execution is good enough that it still works.

Regarding the acting, B. J. Novak was good in the central role, but I really enjoyed the ensemble. Having just watched Boyd Holbrook on Netflix's _The Sandman_, it was entertaining to see him playing such a different role, and I thought he was excellent. I was also surprised to enjoy Ashton Kutcher's scenes.

Finally, on the direction, my gut reaction is to call it serviceable. I'm no expert, but it just seemed pretty unambitious and straightforward. At the end of the day, it doesn't add or detract from the film. It just captures the story, which is all it needed to do. Regardless, as long as Mr. Novak can keep writing stories this well, I'll keep watching his films.