Revenge For Jolly! Blu-ray Review

Director: Chadd Harbold

Starring: Brian Petsos, Oscar Isaac, Elijah Wood, Kristen Wiig, Adam Brody, Ryan Phillipe, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Corrigan, Gillian Jacobs

Running Time: 84 minutes

Certificate: 18

If blockbusters have taught us one thing it’s that the dog has to survive. Classic interpretations of the law have been found in such genre classics as VOLCANO and INDEPENDENCE DAY. Therefore it makes sense to build a revenge thriller around the murder of a dog, as every viewer will be able to root for the hero of the film. At least, that’s how it should be. If REVENGE FOR JOLLY! teaches us one thing, it’s that a surprisingly horrific act can result in absolutely no feeling and absolutely no involvement in a star-filled but messy and empty dark comedy. That’s a self-labelled ‘dark comedy’ by the way, as the humour seems to be non-existent.

Brian Petsos plays Harry, an emotionally distant, socially awkward, and generally sociopathic loner. He has his cousin (Isaac), but his true connection is with his dog, Jolly. Harry owes some people a lot of money, which results in him returning home to find Jolly strung-up. This action has little effect o the audience, because we’re not shown enough of the relationship between man and his best friend. Instead, we’re told that they have  deep connection, and the character of Harry constantly reminds us about this throughout the plot with obvious dialogue. The inability to organically develop an engaging connection derails the film before it even begins.

REVENGE FOR JOLLY! then becomes a series of rinse and repeat scenes in which Harry and cousin go to a new location, ask questions, get a clue that leads them closer to the culprit, and then kill people. That’s pretty much it and it is all done with very little style or heart. Other than not establishing the emotional bond between Harry and Jolly, the film also has reason for Isaac’s character, Cecil, to even be a part of proceedings. You would assume he would act as the conscience to Harry’s understandably upset, but nevertheless dangerous and crazy character, but he never does. The killings begin to get so nasty that one may look at the film as satirising a general audience’s reaction to animal cruelty, but without any character development the whole film just becomes vulgar and silly.

The seemingly endless stream of stars pop-up for a few minutes each, and although each one does everything they can to bring flesh and blood to their meagre roles, it only highlights what a chore it is to follow round the protagonists. Shot choice and composition also lack imagination, and on a presumably small budget you’d hope for a little show of ambition and talent. If you want a truly great revenge film about the murder of a dog, that also has a lot of heart, then watch the Brian Cox starrer RED (not the Bruce Willis film that also, confusingly, stars Brian Cox). If you want a great dark comedy about a sociopath killing for revenge which actually explores the main character’s state of mind, then watch the classic KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. This is a rare film that really has no excuse to exist.

[usr=1]REVENGE FOR JOLLY! is released on Blu-ray and DVD on 14th April.