Vengeance

Director: B.J. Novak B.J. Novak

Overview

A city-slicking radio talk show host from New York learns about the unsettling tale of a murdered young woman, a girl he once had a one-night stand with in his twenties. Determined to learn the truth, he ventures to the American southwest in pursuit of clues that could yield the identity of her killer. B.J. Novak writes, directs, and stars in the comedy thriller. Co-starring Dove Cameron, Boyd Holbrook, Ashton Kutcher, and Issa Rae.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2022
UPC:	0191329231425
Original Release:	2022
Source:	Universal Studios
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

B.J. Novak	Ben Manalowitz
Isabella Amara	Paris
Nathaniel Augustson	Rowdy Stranger #1
Grayson Berry	Officer Mike
Eli Bickel	El Stupido
Dove Cameron	Jasmine
Melissa Chambers	Sean Dillingham
Sean Dillingham	Rowdy Stranger
Ryan Hammond	Det. Keith St. John
Ivan Hernandez	Sancholo's Thug
David Hight	Cowboy
Boyd Holbrook	Ty Shaw
Ashton Kutcher	Quentin Sellers
Adrianne Lovato	Texan Line Dancer
Micah McNeil	Texas Tech Fan
Mike Miller	Doctor
Sarah Minnich	Actor
Bronwen Murray	Hipster
Clint Obenchain	Crawl
Issa Rae	Eloise
Aaron Rogers	NYC Hipster
Aaron Paul Rogers	NYC Hipster
Tony Sedillo	Sancholo's Associate
J. Nathan Simmons	Diner Patron
J. Smith-Cameron	Sharon
Avalon Stone	Whataburger Waitress
Lio Tipton	Abilene Shaw
Zach Villa	Sancholo
Ben Whitehair	Officer Dan
Dora Woodrum	Artist
Finneas	Composer

Technical Credits

B.J. Novak

Leigh Kilton	Executive Producer
B.J. Novak	Executive Producer,Director,Screenwriter
Christopher H. Warner	Executive Producer
Jason Blum	Producer
Greg Gilreath	Producer
Adam Hendricks	Producer
David Sickles	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

If an audience missed The Premise, created and directed by B.J. Novak in 2021, they might be surprised at the genius of Vengeance. He proves his triple threat skills as a writer, director, and actor with this, his debut feature. In his carefully crafted hands, this detective story cajoles audiences into laughter while simultaneously shining a light on them and their distinctly human flaws. Novak plays Ben Manalowitz, a cocky New Yorker addicted to social media and the women on it. When his phone pings in the movie's opening and a mysterious voice informs him of his girlfriend's passing, he truly doesn't know which girlfriend. He's that guy, and B.J. manages to play the role with charm and deprecation, so the audience doesn't entirely hate him. The voice tells him that he has to go to her funeral, and he finds himself in Texas, delivering the eulogy. The movie is a detective story, and Ben becomes slightly obsessed with the dead girl's family, played by a stellar ensemble of heavy-hitting character actors J. Smith Cameron (Succession), Dove Cameron (Hairspray), Isabella Amara (Euphoria), and Boyd Holbrook (Narcos). Ben makes it his mission to find out who the killer is. He dives deeply into her socials with the help of an influencer friend (the dynamic Issa Rae of Insecure), who runs a podcast. Meanwhile, the voice of the girl's brother eggs Ben on, trying to get him to enact vengeance on the killer or killers that Ben is trying to track down. One of the film's finest moments is when Ben meets up with a glossy music producer played by Ashton Kutcher, who arguably gives the best performance of his career. An audience can only hope that this is the first film in a long directorial career for B.J. Novak, who seems to have a lot to say. It is a funny, sharp detective story and a murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. But right when the audience thinks they know everything, they are dead wrong. Even more than a great comedy, which it is, it is a commentary on current times and society at large. That is where its genius lies and what B.J. Novak is so good at; he can shine a light on the faults of humanity while making his leading man (in this case, himself) shoulder the blame. The movie clocks in at a lightning one hour and thirty-four minutes and is worth every moment in that dark theater.