Do Revenge

A tribute to 1980s and '90s teen movies. All of them.

The characters are constructs who are so aware of themselves as constructs (and the plot, too) that there's really no reason why we should feel for them, but we do, thanks to the lead performances, the direction, and the kidding/not kidding vibe of the entire production. [Brian Burgoyne](/cast-and-crew/brian-burgoyne) and editor [Lori Ball](/cast-and-crew/lori-ball) conspire with the director to keep the movie constantly winding its way forward while allowing for stylish grace notes, such as an Andersonian perfectly-symmetrical establishing shot or a voluptuous needle-drop that uses most—and in at least one case, all—of a song. ( [Sarah Michelle Gellar](/cast-and-crew/sarah-michelle-gellar), star of "Cruel Intentions" as well as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has a small role as the headmistress of Rosehill, who advises Drea to channel her anger rather than explode in rage, as she did while accusing Max of leaking the video.) It's as if a cross-dressing Shakespeare comedy had been outfitted with elements from " [Clueless](/reviews/clueless-1995)," " [10 Things I Hate About You](/reviews/10-things-i-hate-about-you-1999)," " [Election](/reviews/election-1999)," " [Rushmore](/reviews/rushmore-1999)," and " [Cruel Intentions](/reviews/cruel-intentions-1999)." The vengeance-driven friendship comedy "Do Revenge" is to the 1980s and '90s high school movie as the "Scream" series was to the post-"Halloween" slasher picture. Max also founds the Cis Hetero Men Championing Female Identifying Students League, an organization that brags about the "allyship" of its members but is mainly camouflage for Max and his bros to womanize without getting called out as misogynists.

"Do Revenge" has all the makings of an attention-generating machine, combining a "Mean Girls" vibe with the stars of two popular teen franchises in Camila ...

She directs her anger at dreamy ex-boyfriend Max (Abrams), who leaked an explicit tape of her, while Hawke's Eleanor has nursed an old grudge against a girl who leveled a false accusation against her in the course of outing her. Mostly, it's a story of unlikely friendship, set against the backdrop of another private school where the parties make Roman bacchanals seem restrained and pale by comparison. Yet the plot (based on a script by Robinson and Celeste Ballard) doesn't pursue that enticing prospect with much conviction, which might explain why it runs out of steam down the stretch.

Do Revenge, with Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, is too cluttered to service any of its many moving parts, homages, or tones.

The show will feature a very young Ahsoka Tano and her mother Pav-ti (voiced by Janina Gavankar), as well as the return of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn.](/videos/star-wars-tales-of-the-jedi-official-trailer) [Street Fighter 6 Reveals Its Full Launch Roster2h ago - A mix of new and old - plus your cutomizable creation.](/articles/street-fighter-6-reveals-its-full-launch-roster) [Marvel’s Thunderbolts Roster Isn't Very Electrifying… A big issue here is that things aren't supposed to make all that much sense for a large run of the story because everything's nurturing the aforementioned twist. The film, though, is somewhat lax with this set up since even before Drea and Eleanor meet, Drea outright obliterates the life of someone else who wronged her ( [Game of Thrones](/articles/2019/05/23/game-of-thrones-sn-8-review)' Sophie Turner in brief role), making it seem like she's more than capable of handling her own revenging. It's set at a posh school for the ultra wealthy and asks a great deal of us when it comes to investing in the troubles and turmoils of the preposterously privileged. [Riverdale](/articles/2018/10/11/riverdale-season-3-premiere-review-labor-day-archie-jail)'s Camila Mendes and [Stranger Things](/articles/stranger-things-season-4-part-2-review)' Maya Hawke star as Drea and Eleanor, two seniors who agree to ruin the lives of the others' tormentor.

'Riverdale' star Camila Mendes and 'Stranger Things' star Maya Hawke team up for Netflix's high school twist on 'Strangers on a Train,' from director ...

It was just like, “This is just a really cool project and I want to be in it, and like I don’t give a f— that I’m 26 playing in high school. I could see that you were running from a long day on “Stranger Things” to another long day on “Do Revenge,” then back to a long day on “Stranger Things.” The work she put in to both projects simultaneously was so impressive, and the fact that every time she showed up to work I didn’t see the exhaustion. It was a big undertaking and touched a lot of soft spaces in our hearts. Your temperament through all of that was so impressive, and not a lot of people can pull that off. The second I realized that this movie was going to be that, getting to work with amazing people who really care about it, it didn’t matter if I’d be playing a bush or a lamp post or a keychain. Like, “I just love too hard” or, “My tragic flaw is that I care too much!” I don’t think that’s the case with Drea and Eleanor. Every now and then someone has hurt my feelings, and the way they hurt my feelings, I had to be like, “Gosh, you’re so smart. You hurt my feelings in the exact way that my feelings can be hurt.” Sometimes someone does something to you that doesn’t look that bad on the surface, but really hits your soft spot ... And this is credit to Jenn’s writing and directing, to set up a scene where you have two characters you’ve been following and they both have a very strong opinion about what’s happened, and as an audience member, neither one is right and neither one is wrong. But when we’re in the scene of our own lives, we’re like, “No! “I had nothing but time and resources and I had my two co-stars with me and we were all just watching ‘Harry Potter’ movies all week,” she said. I feel like I’ve been Drea at low points in my life, where I’ve been vengeful or I’ve wanted to hurt somebody who hurt me, and I’ve felt motivated by those same dark desires.

Director and cowriter Jennifer Kaytin Robinson takes us inside her candy-coated new Netflix film with images of fashion, bearded dragons, and Sophie Turner.

Camila Mendes (Drea) · Maya Hawke (Eleanor) · Austin Abrams (Max) · Ava Capri (Carissa) · Talia Ryder (Gabbi) · Alisha Boe (Tara) · Rish Shah (Russ) · Maia Reficco ( ...

While Do Revenge is Turner’s first Netflix original, she has starred in a couple of HBO Max originals, such as when she leant her voice the animated satire, The Prince, and joined [The Staircase cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/the-staircase-cast-who-each-actor-is-playing-in-the-hbo-max-miniseries) as Margaret Ratlff. [Love, Victor cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2569221/love-victor-cast-where-youve-seen-the-actors-before), Olive on the web series T@gged, and being in the [Blast Beat cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2567653/blast-beat-where-youve-seen-the-cast-before-including-moiss-arias) in 2021. [13 Reasons Why cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2548359/what-netflixs-13-reasons-why-cast-is-doing-next) (a much darker Netflix original teen story), but got her start in horror movies — namely her 2008 debut as Jessica Lucas’ younger self in Amusement and a supporting role in the fourth of the [Paranormal Activity movies](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/the-paranormal-activity-movies-in-order-chronologically-and-by-release-date) in 2011. Marvel cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/superheroes/marvel-cinematic-universe/ms-marvel-cast-where-youve-seen-the-actors-before) as Kamran. [in a Broadway production of Matilda](https://playbill.com/article/what-did-this-mom-do-when-her-daughters-begged-to-audition-for-broadway) in 2015. [Netflix’s To All the Boys movies](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2562694/to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-3-things-to-remember-before-watching-to-all-the-boys-always-and-forever) and from Disney+’s [Ms. He starred in three movies in 2018: the faith-based sports drama Edge of the World, the 1986 summer-set dramedy Age of Summer, and the crime thriller Shattered Memories. She made her acting debut on the [final season of Parks and Recreation](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/Watch-Parks-Recreation-Get-Futuristic-Season-7-Trailer-68983.html) in 2015, made her film debut with 2018’s Write When You Get Work, and later appeared in the 2020 sports drama, Embattled. Abrams also had small roles in Gangster Squad and The Kings of Summer from 2013 and, coincidentally, shared an onscreen romance with Camilia Mendes’ Riverdale co-star, Lili Reinhart, in 2020’s [somber teen drama](https://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/2552896/amazon-primes-chemical-hearts-review-a-teen-drama-that-fails-to-spark-a-meaningful-reaction) Chemical Hearts. That same year, Hawke worked with Fred Hechinger in Human Capital before reuniting with him as a member of Netflix’s [Fear Street Trilogy cast](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2570091/fear-street-cast-where-you-have-seen-the-stars-of-the-netflix-horror-movies-before), starred alongside Andrew Garfield in Gia Coppola’s 2020 dramedy, Mainstream, and, in 2021, appeared opposite Vanessa Kirby in the strange thriller, Italian Studies. The latest edition of this “Hughes-meets-Hitchcock” genre splicing is the [new Netflix original movie](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/2022-netflix-movie-release-dates), Do Revenge. The two main leads of the Do Revenge cast are already well-versed in coming-of-age stories and mysterious thrillers alike.

From a '10 Things I Hate About You'–inspired paintball date to a 'Cruel' cameo, here's a breakdown of teen movie Easter eggs hidden in plain sight.

Robinson Library, in honor of Do Revenge’s director and co-writer? “All three of us really immersed ourselves in all of these films,” she says. “I feel like coming back to them as a filmmaker, I was just really taken aback about how beautiful these films are.”

"Do Revenge" starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke is out today on Netflix — see here a guide to all 15 iconic thrillers and teen movie references in the ...

It’s especially apparent that the Clueless montage inspired this makeover moment when Drea pencils in Eleanor's lipstick while her hair is twisted up in a towel. The result is a film that will have you rooting for them, against them, and quoting them for years to come. Spearheaded by Someone Great triple threat Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, [the Netflix film](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/new-movies-fall-2022) is teeming with iconic movie references ranging from Fatal Attraction to Clueless.

Mendes isn't a stranger to teen drama, having starred on Riverdale as Veronica Lodge since 2017. Mendes made her feature film debut in the Canadian romantic ...

He’s also done some feature film work in projects like 2013’s Gangster Squad, the adaptation of John Green’s [Paper Towns](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/paper-towns-review-2/), and [Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-review/). If that wasn’t enough geek cache, Turner also starred as Jean Grey in [X-Men: Apocalypse](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/x-men-apocalypse-review-2/) and [Dark Phoenix](https://www.denofgeek.com/dark-phoenix/). [Sophie Turner](https://www.denofgeek.com/sophie-turner/) was playing in the movie under wraps, she was always listed as a member of the cast. After getting her start with a bit role on Parks and Rec, Capri starred in T@gged, a webseries on the internet TV station go90. This year, Capri has appeared in the coming-of-age drama When Time Got Louder, and she’ll star in the upcoming supernatural thriller Little Rituals. [Stranger Things](https://www.denofgeek.com/stranger-things/) for the last two seasons. [Riverdale](https://www.denofgeek.com/riverdale/) as Veronica Lodge since 2017. Prior to spending time in the fictional Hawkins, Indiana, Hawke got her start in a 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women as Jo March. While most audiences know him from his role as Ethan, seemingly one of the only normal teens on HBO’s Euphoria, Abrams has a strong body of work under his belt. Ostracized and feeling shamed, Drea decides to get revenge on her ex with the help of new friend and fellow revenge-seeker, Eleanor. Mendes made her feature film debut in the Canadian romantic comedy-drama, The New Romantic, and has also appeared in Netflix’s The Perfect Date alongside Noah Centino. Youthful touchstones like Heathers, Cruel Intentions, and Mean Girls take the intensity of hormones and the cruelty of high school students, and mix them with snappy, era-appropriate dialogue and up-and-coming stars.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who co-wrote and directed the film, spoke about the influences behind 'Do Revenge' and how it taps into teenage girl rage.

“I wanted it to elicit a feeling in you,” she says. It was in the very first draft that she wrote,” Robinson says of the term inspired by Glenn Close’s bunny killing turn in Fatal Attraction. “There are definitely some Reputation undertones in the film,” says Robinson, who is a fan of the singer. “That feeling that it hurts to exist starts in those middle school and high school years, but it doesn’t go away. “We really blew it out and wanted it to feel color soaked,” she says. “I heard her say it and was just like, ‘Yeah, Maya, that’s perfect,’” she says. “She really brought so much insight and nuance to the character,” she says. “Cami really created her character visually: the hair, makeup, the snatched wardrobe,” she says. “They’re very tapped in and really understand the demographic,” Robinson says. The Cruel Intentions star plays the movie’s only adult character, a “juicy and fun role” for the former teen queen that was “That came because Netflix told me to cut [the line] ‘that dumb bitch’ and I thought it would be funny to start off the frame with that license plate,” she says. “It was one of those things where it almost immediately clicked,” Robinson tells TIME when recalling the original pitch to adapt the novel.

George Miller's new movie, a new anime on Netflix, the black comedy Do Revenge, John Boyega's Breaking, and new Channing Tatum and Jon Hamm movies lead the ...

Comedies have fallen out of favor in a cinematic landscape that’s more devoted to Liam Neeson-style revenge movies, but Confess, Fletch is refreshing, not just for how it uses comedy, but for how it uses Jon Hamm. Hiroyasu Ishida’s (Penguin Highway) latest anime feature Drifting Home centers on childhood friends Kosuke and Natsume who, after visiting the apartment building where they used to live before it’s demolished, are transported to another dimension surrounded by a vast ocean. It never feels at odds with the film’s sense of peril when the director inflects broad, sometimes elastic physical comedy on the characters’ interactions with these environments, like when Kosuke daringly uses a makeshift zipwire to reach an adjacent floating building, crashes through the corrugated iron roof, and bounces off the building like a pinball. The remake’s shortcomings aren’t due to her lack of craft or effort — the issues lie solely in the writing and directing. Not only does the remake lack the gumption to even approach the original film in terms of terror and on-screen pain, it doesn’t really work as a film in its own right. Naomi Watts stars in the 2022 American remake of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s 2014 psychological horror film Goodnight Mommy. Eventually, Vengeance starts to feel a bit like a distended meme, tracking the gifted-kid-to-compromised-murder-investigator pipeline. Inspired by a real-life story, Breaking also notably features the late Michael K. Bound to Alithea until he grants three of her wishes, the Djinn tells her three stories from across his three thousand years of captivity, each one recounting a tale of loss, longing, betrayal, and love. But it isn’t derivative or a cliche: Instead, it’s a natural evolution of this type of movie for 2022. We’ve got Three Thousand Years of Longing, George Miller’s highly anticipated follow-up to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, 2022 thriller-drama Breaking starring John Boyega and the late Michael K. This weekend sees the debut of Netflix’s teenage black comedy film Do Revenge starring Camila Mendes (Riverdale), Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones).

Sophie Turner screams swear words in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's "Do Revenge," but Netflix executives were less than thrilled.

Do Revenge hits Netflix on Friday, Sept. 16. A muddled mix of '90s teen flicks, curated for a new generation (with a Hitchcock premise swirled in), ...

The best through line in Do Revenge isn't the revenge aspect; it's the unlikely friendship formed by Drea and Eleanor, which itself turns a cliche or two upside-down. The messaging here, buried within the popspeak, runs the gamut of how everyone's hurt someone at some point to rich people using others' tragedy to bolster their own image to how most sex scandals only damage the women involved, never the men, but it's hard for any of this to fully resonate in the midst of these teenagers' luxurious lives -- lives where if if one's "ruined," there's a soft cushion of cash to fall back on. A big issue here is that things aren't supposed to make all that much sense for a large run of the story because everything's nurturing the aforementioned twist. It's set at a posh school for the ultra wealthy and asks a great deal of us when it comes to investing in the troubles and turmoils of the preposterously privileged. The film, though, is somewhat lax with this set up since even before Drea and Eleanor meet, Drea outright obliterates the life of someone else who wronged her ( [Game of Thrones](/game-of-thrones/132619/review/game-of-thrones-season-8-review)' Sophie Turner in brief role), making it seem like she's more than capable of handling her own revenging. [Riverdale](https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/10/11/riverdale-season-3-premiere-review-labor-day-archie-jail)'s Camila Mendes and [Stranger Things](/stranger-things-season-4-part-2/166362/review/stranger-things-season-4-part-2-review)' Maya Hawke star as Drea and Eleanor, two seniors who agree to ruin the lives of the others' tormentor.

Barring the odd slip up into mediocrity, Do Revenge provides an intelligent modern twist to Hitchcock's age-old classic idea of two strangers meeting and ...

And once you have the characters nailed down, the rest of the job gets easier because they are the ones who show you the way ahead. It is emotionally engaging to hear them talk because the dialogue is not generic and tacky. Despite all of its changes from the ordinary teen movie formula, Do Revenge never loses its peppy vibe that makes these genre films so easy to watch. The thought process probably was to use it in making the story more inclusive, and multi-dimensional, and to appease certain factions of the audience. Drea and Eleanor are so fun to hear at times that you would be tempted to roll back the seconds and go at it again. Most of it is finetuned to fit the billing. They want revenge and decide to help each other by taking it out on the other person’s respective target. A lot of attention is given to their arches, carefully constructed within the plot itself. The age-old problem with such films is the lack of good writing and depth. She punches Max (Austin Abrams), who is a big deal with a rich father, in front of the entire school, getting a temporary suspension. They get to talking and discover that each carries a fresh wound in their hearts. At the camp, she meets Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a mostly reserved, straightforward girl, who is joining Drea’s school Rosehill, in a few months.

The Do Revenge Twitter review starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke will give the movie a much-needed boost. The film apprises Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers ...

[Drea](/topic/drea)and [Eleanor](/topic/eleanor). [Maya Hawke](/topic/maya-hawke)and [Camila Mendes](/topic/camila-mendes). The film's synopsis reads that after a covert bust-up, following a leaked sex tape of Drea (Camila Mandes) by her boyfriend and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), outcasted for a rumor of kissing a girl, they form a team to go after each other's oppressors. Indian equities tumbled close to 2% on Friday, tracking weakness in global markets, as stronger-than-expected economic readings in the US raised expectations of aggressive rate increases by the American central bank at next week’s policy meeting. What most awe-struck the fans were the amusing one-liner and clever plot and the pompous characters of Most fans were impressed with the eminence of the characters and the movie's storyline.