The team of Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair give us an enjoyable crude revenge story populated by a bunch of common non-special in any regard type of people, differently to the usual canon of the genre that calls for some sort of either ruthless or to some extent “crafty” type of person when it comes to killing.

Macon Blair is Dwight, a homeless man who after getting noticed that the man who killed his parents is getting released will throw himself into getting the vengeance he so much deserves. But revenge does not end only on the one guy that killed his parents.

The story of the film is for sure what, above anything else, elevates the movie. Jeremy Saulnier, who wrote and directed the movie, tries to twist several of the usual elements of the revenge genre and he does so very successfully.

The first would be grabbing a bunch nobodies and regular guys (on both sides, the person trying to get revenge and the ones trying to fight it back) who very clearly will show that the level of violence surrounding them clearly surpasses their capabilities. Usually, we would get some sort of skilled person in the art of killing (an assassin, a gang member, a veteran…) but not in here, the characters are barely proficient in the use of arms or how to attack someone, and that is precisely what makes this movie really good as it makes the revenge stale extra messy and imperfect.

Alongside that element, another subversive approach to the genre is the fact that the main target of revenge for our main character is not some sort of “final boss” whom he reaches at the end of the film, but in fact he actually disposes of him right away. It is the subsequential ramifications of such an action that will make the bulk of the story and build up the adventure of Dwight.

It is also equally true that some driving elements of the plot, mainly the use of two characters (the sister and the old friend) seems rather rescindable, as what they actually bring to the table could have been accomplished without them.

That aspect, together with the weak acting from the entire cast would be the downsides of the picture. Macon Blair is decent in his role of the amateurish avenger, but the rest of performances in the movie do not accomplish to entice any sort of emotion onto the audience. Feeling as if they simply were plain characters with which our protagonist has to deal with.

In any case, a good movie has to be basically cemented in a strong and well told story, and this (with its exceptions here and there) is a good and actually quite refreshing, due to twisting the conventions of the genre, example of it. Even if technically (with the exception of the bloodiest scenes that are great) or acting-wise is nothing special, the story actually manages to grab you and be eager in following the main character throughout his crusade.