Movie Review: A Vigilante

A Vigilante **** / *****

Directed by: Sarah Daggar-Nickson.

Written by: Sarah Daggar-Nickson.

Starring: Olivia Wilde (Sadie), Morgan Spector (Sadie's Husband), Kyle Catlett (Zach), Tonye Patano (Counselor), Betsy Aidem (Andrea Shaund), Cheryse Dyllan (Charlene Jackson), C.J. Wilson (Michael Shaund), Chuck Cooper (Lawyer), J.D. Williams (Charlene Jackson's Boyfriend), Wade Mylius (Bartender), Olivia Gilliatt (Margaret Turner), Margot Bingham (Joyce Richards), Mary Testa (Eva Greenberg), Jack Caleb (Cody).

 

Olivia Wilde has turned into a much more interesting actress than she was earlier in her career. In her first few major film roles – after breaking through on House – filmmakers seemed struck by her beauty, so they cast her as (quite literally) characters who were perfect representations of human beauty – in films like Tron: Legacy or Cowboys and Aliens. But playing the personification of perfection doesn’t give you much to play. But in recent years, Wilde has branched out, and taken some daring indie film roles – now culminating with A Vigilante, her best performance to date. This is a harrowing film role in many ways – and one that Wilde plays like a raw wound throughout. The film has a few structural flaws – I’m not sure what messing up the timeline really does for it, and the climax is perhaps a little too pat and predictable – but through it all, Wilde holds the film together. It is also quite a directorial debut for Sarah Daggar-Nickson – who shows that you can marry important subject matter with a genre film, and not skimp on either one (Don McKellar, who just failed to do the same with Through Black Spruce should take notes).

 

In the film, Wilde plays Sadie – the vigilante of the title – who takes phone calls from women in abusive relationships, and will come to their house to get them out of those – yes using violence, although she is adamant she won’t kill anyone. She doesn’t really have to – most of the men she deals with are cowards, who aren’t used to a woman standing up to them – and certainly not one who not only fights back, but can kick their ass. The violence in these scenes is usually quick and severe – nothing drawn out or glamorous here. Because we see Sadie in a support group for abused women – not looking like the determined, tough woman she now is – we know that the film is playing with the timeline a little bit – showing us the aftermath of Sadie’s marriage, although not the details of it – before she became what she has become. We see the scars, the fear in her eyes when there are noises in the present – but it’s not something she shows anyone else. Daggar-Nickson often films her in close-up – as she constantly works out – turning herself into a weapon. Because this is at least in part a genre film – we know the last act will likely be a confrontation with her ex-husband (who the film doesn’t even bother to give a name to – a deliberate choice) – and it doesn’t disappoint.

 

A Vigilante does a great job at showing a serious issue –and its consequences – at the same time as making a satisfying genre film. You could describe the film as a kind of rape/revenge film – although there is no rape here, its domestic abuse instead. The film doesn’t do what many of those film do however – and revel in the violence to get your bloodlust going. It is clear from the start that the violence on display is harsh, unrelenting and painful – and leaves lasting scars, physically and emotionally. This is a film that doesn’t take any of that lightly. And yet, it is still very much a revenge fantasy as well – a film that does allow the audience some wishful thinking, some satisfaction in the world being set right, even as we realize in real life, it wouldn’t be this way.

 

So in its way, the film is not that much like something like The Equalizer and its sequel, where Denzel Washington comes to the aid of those in need, and kills a lot of people to set things right. The difference is that A Vigilante at least has some more realistic stakes in mind – and shows you that not all the problems are fixed with this sort of thing. And it allows Wilde to deliver a great performance at the same time. A Vigilante is a completely unexpected early year surprise.