Jesse V. Johnson returns with his second action film of the year with Avengement, a crown jewel of full tilt boogie film making. Featuring his frequent collaborator, Scotts Adkins (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckonin) in a furious central performance and dozens of sequences of visceral, bone crunching violence, this is a must-see affair for any aficionados of the genre.
Cain (pun intended), on a furlough from prison to see his dying
mother escapes from his guards and carves a bloody path of retribution through
the heart of London. Told through a series of flashbacks with unreliable
narrators, Johnson and Stu Small's scriptshas a unique format that translates
exceptional well to the screen. Most of the story transpires in a dingy
pub, in which a handful of criminals are held hostage by Cain, with both sides
recounting the series of events that led to them the present. Adkins, who
typically shines when he's a supporting character is finally given the perfect
leading role. Sporting scar prosthetics and a tacky silver grill, his
Cain is a preternatural killer, forged in the bowels of a penal system that
punishes what it creates. What's refreshing about Adkins in this role is
in how he approaches a fairly simple story and makes it human. The genius
of Avengement is in how Johnson spins
several predictable threads into an atypical revenge yarn with a sense of
humanity. It's self-deprecating at times, laugh out loud hysterical at
others, and almost always shockingly violent. However, despite the
brutality, the ever-present specter of trauma and tragedy are thankfully
eschewed, presenting Cain's ordeal in a fantastical context rather than the
dark and dreary treatment we're used to.
The supporting cast is filled with disposable hooligans and
corrupt lawmen as expected, however there is one important standout.
Kerston Wareing (Fish Tank) gives a
scene stealing turn as a jaded, tough as nails barkeep who brooks no
fools. Her scenes with Adkins are essential to the ambiance, and
Johnson's choice to keep her character front and center is inspired. It
would have been easy to cast a cardboard persona in the role and Wareing was an
inspired choice that defies expectations.
Everything is elevated with Jonathan Hall’s high-octane
cinematography. The transition from prison to pub is realized with different
angles and compositions. The fights inside prison are close and tenuous,
while the pub sequence that forms the spine of the narrative features more wide
shots, mimicking Cain's transition from caged gladiator to fugitive
avenger. Dan Styles’ stunt coordination is flawless. Every
encounter is brutal, yet the performers move in a such a way that the bloodshed
feels almost mythological, echoing John
Wick and Kill Bill Vol. 1 in its
larger than life presentation.
Available for digital rental tomorrow, Avengement is a tapestry of jaw dropping violence encased within an
unexpected revenge story. Adkins not only delivers the performance of his
career; he shows that the adult oriented action film is far from dead.
Blending elements from other pop culture action extravaganzas and melding
them into a tight, bloody potboiler, Johnson earns his place within the
pantheon of action auteurs.
--Kyle Jonathan