Villains (4/5) – Movie Review

VILLAINS is a thriller that doubles as a quirky and very dark comedy. This is pure adrenalin and wonderfully kitsch entertainment. The cast is brilliant and reason enough to seek out this little gem. Read more in our full Villains review here.

Villains might have the plot of a thriller, but it’s the dark comedy and very quirky and kitsch elements that brings it home.

Honestly, it isn’t often that a movie comes along that continues to surprise you. Sure, you might guess some plot points but these characters are so multi-layered that you never know what they’ll bring out next.

If that sounds too deep for you, then don’t worry. This isn’t exactly a “deep” movie, but it is damn entertaining and a real treat for fans of genre film. You know, the kind that isn’t confined by genre but just rolls with the punches.

Also, the cast is simply perfect. Read more about those awesome actors in the rest of our Villains review below.

Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe as sweethearts

At the heart of the story in Villains, we have Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe as a young couple in love. Or actually, they’re more of a Bonnie and Clyde duo, but that doesn’t keep them from being lovey-dovey sweethearts. Also, they do actually have a pretty decent moral compass.

And… they really suck at being criminals. Which is (of course) part of the whole dark comedy element in this thriller.

In case you need reminding, Bill Skarsgård is the current Pennywise in the It adaptation that will conclude with IT: Chapter 2 in theaters next month. In fact, IT Chapter 2 will be out just a week before Villains premieres in movie theaters.

Maika Monroe starred in the sleeper horror hit It Follows (2014) which took the world by storm and divided its audience. People either loved or hated it – I loved it, so now I’m happy to watch anything with Maika Monroe in it. More recently, she also starred in the Netflix sci-fi horror movie Tau – you can read our review of Tau here >

The perfect old school couple

While Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe may be the young sweethearts, Mickey and Jules, we have an additional couple in Villains. And this couple really does come across as the perfect couple. If this story took place in the 1950s anyway.

Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick play the couple living in a home that Mickey and Jules break into. They don’t mean to, but like I said earlier, they’re not really good at being criminals. That’s how they end up in the home of Gloria (Sedgwick) and George (Donovan).

Now, I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t talk much about Gloria and George. Let’s just say that they’re very different from most people while being all about loving and protecting one another. Also, Kyra Sedgwick (The Possession) and Jeffrey Donovan (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile) deliver stellar performances. It is insane… and I love it!

Second feature for writer-director duo

Villains is the second feature film for Dan Berk and Robert Olsen in the writer and director capacity. They’ve worked together on more projects (both features and shorts), but not always as both writers and directors. Hopefully, they’ll continue being the allround filmmakers that have given us this little treat.

The story might sound familiar on paper. I mean, it does sound quite a lot like Don’t Breathe and there’s even a scene early on that feels familiar. However, this is a whole other kind of movie. It really is very much based on dark (and sometimes bloody) comedy where Don’t Breathe was more of a horror vehicle.

Dan Berk and Robert Olsen just might end up having a true cult following if they can keep working on this level. And, of course, attract the level of awesome actors they managed for Villains.

Villains premiered at SXSW back in March 2019 and have been playing festivals since. Most recently at Scary Movies on August 16, 2019.

You can catch Villains in movie theaters from September 20, 2019.

Details

Written & Directed by: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan & Kyra Sedgwick
Runtime: 89 Minutes

Plot

Mickey and Jules are lovers on the run, headed southbound for a fresh start in the Sunshine State. When their car dies after a gas station robbery, they break into a nearby house looking for a new set of wheels. What they find instead is a dark secret and a sweet-as-pie pair of homeowners who will do anything to keep it from getting out.