Villains – Review

Villains is a well-made, well-acted genre film which manages to keep us entertained through its twists and turns, yet which struggles to elevate itself into greatness.

Maika Monroe and Bill Skarsgård play Jules and Mickey, two Bonnie and Clyde wannabe armed robbers. They haven’t exactly got a detailed plan, or well thought through schemes but that’s OK because they aren’t serious criminals, they are simply two lovers trying to get to Florida, robbing gas stations along the way in order to make a little money. After the latest robbery they are stranded in the middle of nowhere, after forgetting to actually buy gas at the station they just held up. Lo and behold, they spot a house nearby and break-in, hoping to steal the owner’s car whilst they are away. Little do they know that the house holds some dark secrets which begin to be unleashed when the home owners unexpectedly return mid-break-in.

Starting out strong, Villains feels like its setting up to playfully experiment with its horror setting and mix things up in an unexpected way. It’s charismatic and well-cast central performances, particularly from the always reliable Monroe, keep us engaged and empathetic, the fun dialogue and visuals feel confident and assured. However, once the movie starts to reveal its plot and has our heroes attempting to break out of the house they find themselves imprisoned in, the film’s promise and freshness slowly begins to erode, giving way to more predictable and well-trodden plot choices.

It’s a shame to have to write that the film falls short of greatness as there is so much here which screams potential and I was desperately willing it on to succeed. It wants to be subversive and exciting and what’s frustrating is that it feels like all the pieces are in place to raise it above the sum of its parts and into something more notable. When the film works, it really works. Monroe and Skarsgård are inherently likeable in their roles, you cannot help but root for them to escape their imprisonment.  Equally Jeffrey Donovan is great fun in his wonderfully villainous performance as George, coupled with Kyra Sedgwick’s unhinged Gloria. It’s a fun genre mashup which is bolstered by its cast and playful energy, however it just doesn’t quite manage to fully live up to its promise.