Vengeance review: A thriller that needs Only Murders in the Building energy

Podcasting and television have some cross-compatibility.Podcasts become TV shows and TV shows inspire watch along podcastand almost everyone Murderers in Buildings OnlyPodcasts and movies don’t get along very well.lots of podcast stories about However, aside from the occasional cynical joke (like a podcast character obsessed with geek audio) Ghostbusters: Afterlife) The podcasting details seem to be the focus of most movies in general—not so with BJ Novak’s new thriller. revengeit likely contains more detail about the podcast process than any mainstream film that isn’t a documentary.

Podcasting isn’t exactly a passion for New York City writer Ben Mannarowitz (Novak). It’s like a checklist item for a successful youthful media person in a big city. Ben already wrote for The New Yorker (not New York Magazine, because he keeps fixing people), and he’s hungry for the next step. When a successful podcast corners her producer Eloise (Issa Rae) at a party, he wants to pitch her something for a company like her NPR.

But an accident from another form of checklist brought the story to his knees. It’s Ben’s indulgence in hookup culture, evident in his first banter scene with his friend, played by musician John Mayer. Ben receives a call from Abilene’s (Rio Tipton) family to inform them that his girlfriend has died. The problem is that Abilene isn’t Ben’s girlfriend, just a casual relationship that he barely knew about.Sandman villain Boyd Holbrook), Ben heads to Texas for Abilene’s funeral. The rest of the family there claims her death was not an accidental overdose, as police claim.

Ben wonders if it’s true, but thinks the family’s grandiose, murderous conspiracy delusions might be the compelling podcast topic he’s been looking for. However, Eloise agrees and Ben begins an investigation into Abilene’s life and death.

The intriguing nausea of ​​this situation mirrors the film itself, which attempts to mine both the fish-out-of-water comedy and the genuine sense of mystery from Ben’s grumpy, but utterly incompetent detective. There is none. Novak gives Abilene’s family a bit of a “gotcha” moment by enthusiastically showing that they’re on board with Ben’s East Coast disdain jokes to show just how atypical Abilene’s family is. I am giving

At the same time, the film regularly reminds audiences that guns and fast food are a major part of American life for the Texas crowd. The fact that he’s there adds another layer—as does the fact that he’s engaged in it anyway. But those extra layers don’t necessarily enrich the movie-watching experience. target, revenge It starts to feel a bit like an inflated meme that tracks the pipeline from gifted kid to endangered homicide detective.

Still, the film isn’t easy to dismiss. Its gritty comedy is often funny and its enigmatic mystery is compelling. Abilene’s death becomes more and more of a mystery as Ben learns about her. Eclectic performers like Holbrook, J. Smith-Cameron, Isabella Amara, and Ashton Kutcher do their best to bring these potentially elusive characters to life.

Photo: Patti Perrette/Focus Feature

But Novak, who knows he’s playing the lead role, creates a kind of void at the heart of the story. This could be intentional, and given all of his contradictions, he could even be read as self-harming. Ben is callous, but not heartless. Smart, but not great. Successful, but very privileged. What he lacks is the charismatic smoothness that makes him a more interesting and unsettling figure.

Novak may be looking for something more nuanced here than East Coast residents gaining a new understanding of the South. Indeed, Ben’s flamboyant, understated, insidious style also exists in the New York media world, and could easily be mistaken for learned sensibilities, especially in one-night stands. revengebut rather than a one-night stand, Ben’s attempt to engineer a greater moral awakening falls flat.

At first, the film seems to treat podcasting as a sour punchline — a stand-in for Ben’s hollow, self-impressive endeavors. in some cases, revenge Like an Alexander Payne movie, it seems to aim for omnidirectional satire with a touch of empathy. But more often than not, it resembles a hall of mirrors, with an illusionary bundle of culture clashes waving to each other in self-awareness awareness.

revenge Theatrical release on July 29th.