Violent Ends – Movie Review (4/5)

VIOLENT ENDS is a new Crime Thriller that plays out in the Ozarks. And yes, it does get extremely violent in very realistic ways. It’s a revenge thriller that also becomes a survival story. Read our full Violent Ends movie review here!

VIOLENT ENDS is a Crime Thriller with a fairly long runtime at 111 minutes. However, it keeps you engaged and intrigued throughout. Well, it did for this viewer, anyway. It plays out in the Ozark Mountains, which is such a strong backdrop.

If you’re a fan of the Netflix series Ozark, it will be a familiar setting. However, there is a fairly big difference in that this new movie takes place in the early 1990s. Other than the music and clothing, it offers the classic challenges of no Internet and no cell phones.

Continue reading our Violent Ends movie review below. Find it in theaters from October 31, 2025.

Violent delights have violent ends

Along with an introduction to set the stage – think the Star Wars opening, but in a different way – Violent Ends also begins with a quote. The quote is “These violent delights have violent ends”, which is a quote from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”.

Of course, many genre fans will probably find it familiar from something else. That line was also used for the Westworld series, where it helped unlock the androids.

Anyway, it is also very telling of the story you’re about to watch.

We’re in 1992 in the Ozark Mountains, where we follow Lucas Frost (Billy Magnussen). He’s an honest man who was brought up in a crime family. His mom is a cop, but everyone else is a criminal.

It’s a family full of crime and violence, and he’s about to be pulled back into their mess.

A powerful cast giving their all

The absolute star of Violent Ends is Billy Magnussen (Black Mirror S7), who delivers a truly powerful performance. I have long enjoyed his portrayals of diverse characters, but this is probably my favorite of his, so far.

As his brother, we see Nick Stahl (What Josiah Saw), who gets a lot less to work with, but delivers a solid performance all the same. In other key roles, we see Kate Burton (The Surrender) and Alexandra Shipp (Tragedy Girls).

Plus, as the main villain (and a very efficient one), we get James Badge Dale. In Violent Ends, his sinister behavior is matched only by his terrible haircut, which almost became a character in itself for me. Trust me, it screams douchebag, which is very appropriate!

Watch Violent Ends in theaters

This new crime thriller comes from writer and director John-Michael Powell. Not only is it a gorgeous production full of strong character portrayals, but it’s also a very entertaining movie. Think One Battle After Another, but on a smaller scale and within one family.

This is the second feature film from John-Michael Powell, following his 2022 movie The Send-Off, which I have not watched. However, if Violent Ends is any indication, I’m sure I’d enjoy it.

If you’re in the mood for watching something other than a classic slasher over Halloween, then Violent Ends is a very dark choice. As is Anniversary, for that matter. In fact, I find both to be infinitely scarier than most slashers.

Of course, that’s because horror slashers are meant to entertain and give you a fun and wild experience. These realistic movies about survival have always been much more terrifying to me.

Violent Ends is out exclusively In Theaters from October 31, 2025.

Details

Written & Directed by: John-Michael Powell
Starring: Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Kate Burton, Ray McKinnon, Nick Stahl, Alexandra Shipp