Review of A History of Violence (2005) by David W — 23 Jan 2016
After an absence from the big screen, Cronenberg returns to form with a brilliantly sordid and thrilling tale about a quiet town, who's popular inhabitants, The Stall family, are terrorized after an attempted robbery on their homely diner.
A History Of Violence is a wonderfully captivating thriller that portrays psychological torment in as subtle a way as possible. Cronenberg casts a ferocious cast in Mortensen, Hurt, Bello and Harris to undergo his new form of torment, in a film that resonates highly with The Coen Brothers darkest and indeed quirkiest.
A History Of Violence takes a step back from conventional horror here, making the unseen and unknown the forefront of terror, and Mortenson really hits the nail on the head with his performance. The film is stripped back, gorgeous, tense and chalk full of emotion, you would need to have a heart of stone not to get involved with this classic.
Its brief violence is brutal, its character study is wonderful and its setting is completely enveloping and its ability to allow the material do the hard work, rather than attack us with flashy imagery only proves the strength of the script and the vision.
The less said about this film the better, its close to perfect, with minor hiccups randomly passed on the way. A History Of Violence combines family fun and torment to such a riveting level, its impossible to take your eyes of the screen.
A must own.
This review of A History of Violence (2005) was written by David W on 23 Jan 2016.
A History of Violence has generally received very positive reviews.
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