A Vigilante (2018)

Directed by Sarah Daggar-Nickson. Starring Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Tonye Patano, Judy Marte, C. J. Wilson, Betsy Aidem. [R]

A raw, steely drama that tries to have it both ways and comes up short on both sides of the gulf. After fleeing her sadistic husband (Spector), emotionally-scarred Wilde devotes herself to helping women escape abusive relationships through vigilante tactics. Rather than focus on the psychology and behavior patterns of these situations, or commit to being a down-and-dirty violent thriller dishing out payback to “ordinary” scum of the Earth, writer/director Sarah Daggar-Nickson wavers to the point of frustration, attempting to elevate the genre without satisfying its core, visceral needs, and ultimately barely scratching the surface when it comes to exploring its cold, damaged heroine. The latter flaw is especially daunting because the viewer is always experiencing trauma and retribution from her perspective, and yet I felt little of the vindication the viewer is meant to savor. Wilde co-produced.

46/100