Review: 'Random Acts Of Violence' a Comment on Misogyny, Brutality

Why do we love horror films? Why are we drawn to true crime stories? Why do stories often focus on killers rather than victims? Raising these questions, but never really answering them, "Random Acts of Violence" is a slasher horror film providing intriguing meta-commentary on the glorification of violence and exploitation of women's bodies.

Based on the graphic novel, successful comic book writer, Todd (Jesse Williams), embarks on a road trip with his girlfriend, Kathy (Jordana Brewster), publisher (Jay Baruchel, who also co-wrote and directed), and assistant (Niamh Wilson) to promote the final issue of his popular horror comic about a serial killer, "Slasherman," which he based on a real serial killer. As their trip progresses, events start mirroring murders in his comics.

The acting is solid, especially from Jesse Williams and Jordana Brewster. Their characters feel lived-in and authentic, as does their relationship. I've never seen Brewster better; she gives an exceptional performance that's so good, I wish the film focused on her.

The ambitious film features tense pacing and viscerally gory murder scenes with incredible attention to detail lending to unsettling realism. Some scenes allude to other horror films, such as "Suspiria" (2018) and "Black Christmas." I like that comics-style animation bookends the film. While the live-action contains a hallucinogenic flashback scene feeling like a fractured carnival, I wish the comics aesthetic bled into the live-action, even more evocative of comics.

The film grapples with truth in art and how audiences delight in gore and violence, often against women's bodies. It also wrestles with how creating horror can be a cathartic coping mechanism against trauma for some artists. In a contentious interview, a radio host challenges Todd's work, condemning its "senseless violence," asserting it's a "toxic element of a dangerous culture that lionizes male violence." Jesse responds, "All the things going on with our culture, but my comic book is the problem." Kathy eventually criticizes his work too, for how it "tortures" and "mutilates" women. Kathy, who's working on a book on the serial killer's victims, says, "Everyone talks about the murderers. Nobody ever talks about the victims, and those are the people that matter!" While critiquing male toxicity, the film also critiques the true crime genre's popularity its habit of not centering on victims' narratives. The film, which at times feels like it swipes horror and true crime fans, straddles a line of not blaming art but questioning art's impact on the world.

I have complicated feelings about "Random Acts of Violence." It's an entertaining, thought-provoking film, and I applaud it for raising salient questions about violence in entertainment, media analysis, and women's exploitation. It contains compelling ideas, but its message ultimately remains murky due to a muddled third act. The film doesn't quite come together, with an ending that doesn't deliver narratively or thematically. I wish it attempted to answer the questions it poses, but perhaps it's sufficient to start the conversation.