Villains (Movie Review)

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

PLOT: Lovers on the run Mickey and Jules have an unfortunately-timed breakdown soon after robbing a gas station. Looking for a new car, the couple breaks into the home of George and Gloria, a polite, hospitable pair who have a terrible secret in the basement.

REVIEW: The performances in VILLAINS are so good, so captivating and enjoyable, that it's a shame they're not in a much better movie. The movie is fine as is, an amusing trifle that goes by quick and easy, but it's one of those movies that make you wish it had really dug into its alluring premise as opposed to seeming content to be mildly entertaining. Those performances keep you glued to the screen for most of the running time, but after a while you find yourself frustrated that the movie remains doggedly just okay.

Aforementioned performances are Bill Skarsgard and Maika Monroe, as a pair of nitwit criminals on the run, and Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick as the twisted married couple whose home they break into. These four put on a real show – some of their mannerisms and line-reading could be out of a vintage John Waters movie – and when they're squaring off against one another you're almost guaranteed to have a crooked little smile on your face. Skarsgard in particular really shines; it's been obvious he can play the hell out of a demonic clown, but seeing him tackle a role that requires full-on comedic chops is really satisfying. Skarsgard's Mickey is a lovable doofus, a man whose dream it is to sell seashells on the beach in Florida, and he's not exactly prepared to rise to the occasion when he and his girlfriend get into real trouble. But we root for Mickey despite his overwhelming dumbness because Skarsgard infuses the character with such affable charm.

Monroe doesn't disappear in Skarsgard's presence either; her Jules is every bit as sympathetic and engaging. Burdened with being the slightly smarter one of the duo (emphasis on slightly), Jules' affection for her dopey beau is never in doubt, nor is her genuine goodness, and Monroe perfectly captures her tenacity and decency (if you look past the whole robbing a gas station thing). On the opposite side, Donovan and Sedgwick play their characters like cartoon bad guys, Donovan adopting a grandiose, mustache-twirling affectation and Sedgwick doing an exaggerated impersonation of 50s housewife (with a none-too-hidden kinky side). Both are splendid, heavily leaning into the gaudy flamboyance of the characters. And though George and Gloria are, for all intents and purposes, evil, we never hate them because they're fun to watch.

We never fear George and Gloria either, and that is where I find some fault with VILLAINS. Though it's mostly played for laughs, the film would have done well to build up some tension as it thrusts our protagonists into a fairly distressing scenario. Mickey and Jules discover George and Gloria are hiding a disturbing secret in their basement, so the latter couple is obliged to kill them, but the film eventually settles into a rather muted atmosphere; the second act in particular features a handful of weird moments, but nothing especially exciting happens until the finale. The set-up promises a wild ride, but writer-directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen deliver something that can be described as surprisingly conventional; I can't see inside their heads, but I'm guessing they thought the movie would have more bite than it actually does. 

Still, the quartet of lively performances may just be enough for the price of admission. Skarsgard's spirited turn alone will undoubtedly grab your attention, and at 89 minutes VILLAINS doesn't demand too much of your time. Not the greatest compliment, to be fair, but one suitable for a movie that needn't be taken too seriously.

VILLAINS opens in select theaters September 20th.