Alfred Hitchcock’s influence is apparent in Netflix’s teen dark comedy Do Revenge. It was inspired by his 1951 thriller Strangers on a Train, which was in turn inspired by a novel by The Talented Mr. Ripley writer Patricia Highsmith. But instead of focusing on a twisty murder scheme, Do Revenge centers on a plot to kill off the social status of two members of the It Crowd.
The film neatly fits into the canon of dark comedies about the ruthlessness of teenage girls — think Heathers or Mean Girls. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (co-writer of Thor: Love and Thunder, creator of Sweet/Vicious) weaves a sharp 2022 update of the genre. A few romantic subplots slow the movie’s midpoint down, but by the end, the movie regains its momentum and pulls together for a satisfying ending.
[Ed. note: This review contains setup spoilers for Do Revenge.]
Do Revenge follows Drea (Camila Mendes), formerly the most popular girl at school, until her reputation tanks — not just because her ex-boyfriend Max released her sex tape, but also because she punched him in the face afterward. Drea attends her exclusive Miami prep school on a scholarship, while her ex (Austin Abrams) comes from a wealthy family. He has more social capital than her, so he’s able to turn his friends and the rest of the school against her, claiming a video from his phone got leaked and that she assaulted him for no reason. Drea just wants to grit her teeth and get through senior year, but that changes when she meets transfer student Eleanor (Maya Hawke).
Years ago, Eleanor became a social pariah when her crush Carissa (Ava Capri) spread a rumor that Eleanor held her down and forcibly kissed her. After landing at the same school as Carissa, Eleanor dreads seeing her
Action
UPS
Target
Man
Ballard
Revenge
Alfred Hitchcock
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Patricia Highsmith