100 WORD FILM REVIEWS / Villains

Villains: B

Image © Alter; Gunpowder & Sky

Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Bill Skarsgard (IT: Chapter Two) star as two lovers on the run who find themselves captives of a couple (Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan and The Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick) after breaking into their home. Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen imbue Villains with a dark comedic edge—from the mysterious child in the basement to the kooky personalities of the sadistic homeowners. This genre exercise relies on powerhouse acting to carry its occasionally uneven scenario to its bloody conclusion. Lastly, the “carwash” sequences between Skarsgard and Monroe are visual character-building examples of pure cinematic genius.

Sean Woodard, Film Editor

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