Measure of Revenge is aptly titled, but they are dealing with inches not feet. Somehow, the film finds the time to not be engaging at a 92-minute runtime. Melissa Leo (The Fighter) is one of the best working actors, yet even her performance is on the same subpar level as the film. Bella Thorne (Chick Fight) is written as a tacky hipster and, though she is no Melissa Leo, her portrayal is just as lacking if not more. Kenny Walakandou (The Spiral) has written a script with some very cool aspects, but they basically add up to an early 2000s Ashley Judd thriller. Most directorial debuts don’t hit, but hopefully, Peyfa will surprise viewers in whatever his sophomore effort ends up being. Unfortunately, the best part of Measure of Revenge is the opening credit sequence.
Lillian Cooper (Leo) eagerly anticipates her son Curtis’ (Jake Weary) return from rehab. Upon his arrival, he is content, sober, and ready to propose to his girlfriend, Olivia (Jasmine Carmichael). Lillian is a stage actress in the midst of a Macbeth run when she gets the call that not only is Curtis dead, but so is Olivia. The cause of death is determined to be an overdose, which makes sense for Curtis but Olivia was a respected nurse. The police are content with closing the case, but Lillian is convinced foul play is involved. Her investigation leads her to Curtis’ dealer, Taz (Thorne), who is unwilling to get involved at first but eventually agrees to assist Lillian in following up on her hunch. As Lillian prepares for her final role on stage (in Hamlet this time), she is simultaneously preparing for her final act of vengeance.
Measure of Revenge suffers from a host of creative decisions in front of and behind the camera. Weary is playing a musician along with several other bandmates. The CGI that serves as their on-stage flashbacks have all the realism of a flickering Zoom background. The last time viewers see Curtis is on a phone while he performs the best song of the film. In sharp contrast, the film shows a hamfisted montage that explains aspects of the plot the audience already knows. The camerawork is average, the score is forgettable and at no point does this feel like Melissa Leo’s Taken or even John Wick — something that would have been a lot more enjoyable.
The lead performances are tough to watch. Leo has never been more unmemorable and that’s saying a lot considering she goes on a killing spree in Hamlet regalia. What’s more, she has played a grieving mother and contended with addiction before in films like Charlie Countryman and The Fighter; yet, none of that gravitas comes across in Measure of Revenge. Thorne is saddled with a role and script that are as dull as her performance. It feels like she raises the emotion in scenes that don’t need it and sucks the life out of scenes that do.
Though Measure of Revenge is not an excellent film, it does have some flare. The opening credits introduce Leo through a mash-up of the onscreen playbill art and the credits themselves, followed by a James Bond-like cartoon spiral that takes the viewer on a journey of the plays she has been a part of throughout her career. Once Leo is in full revenge mode, her alibi and alias are cinema gold. When on the hunt for her son's killers, she stays in character during a run of Hamlet and kills only when she is supposed to be off-stage. In reality, she is dashing around town with a pistol making it back just in time for her next scene. The script is far from perfect but if one squints, there is occasional fun to be had.
Measure of Revenge is in theaters, on demand, and digital March 18. The film is 92 minutes long and not rated.