Originally titled and released as Savaged in foreign territories, this film is going forward as Avenged for its United States release. With the log line of, “They took her life… She’ll take her revenge,” Avenged hits select theaters and VOD beginning March 6th 2015 followed by DVD distribution on April 21st 2015. I was lucky enough to receive an online screener of this film before its premiere in America and I have to say, I was really drawn in by the movie poster. It looks tribal and sexy at the same time. Here’s my review having finished my viewing.
Avenged is written and directed by Michael S. Ojeda with Deon van Rooyen. Ojeda previously directed reenactment segments for popular television show “Deadliest Warrior.” Cast members appearing within Avenged include Amanda Adrienne, Marc Anthony Samuel (“General Hospital”), Daniel Knight, Joseph Runningfox, Rodney Rowland (I Know Who Killed Me, “Veronica Mars”), Tom Ardavany, Ronnie Gene Blevins (Bleed, Freezerburn), Brionne Davis, and John Charles Meyer (The Millennium Bug).
“A deaf girl is brutalized by a murderous gang who are then hunted by her when the bloodthirsty spirit of an Apache warrior inhabits her lifeless body.”
Going into my viewing it was hard to ignore that Avenged looks like a mix of I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and The Crow (1994). I’m sure that those who worked behind the scenes are tired of hearing that, but it still remains true. I usually stray away from rape-revenge flicks or movies with rape in them in general. It’s one of the two things I have a hard time stomaching even in the world of make believe; probably because rape is more likely to happen to someone than getting attacked by killer clowns from another planet. And not that rape is ever ok, the fact that the woman being raped is deaf adds a whole extra layer of, “I feel so bad for you,” to the movie. With that said, I will confirm that Zoe’s rape and torture scene is only a few minutes long and severs as a plot device to move the plot forward and never gets out of hand, just incase you have a hard time stomaching it like I do!
I think the biggest thing that will reel fans in is Zoe herself and the actress that portrays her, Amanda Adrienne. I actually went onto Amanda’s official site and watched clips of her prior performances to see if she was deaf. Turns out that she isn’t, so that really adds to her credibility as an actress because she was able to play the role of a deaf woman without being stereotypical or over the top with it. Zoe, who I described as “Tall Emma Roberts,” is such a kind hearted person in the movie it’s ridiculous. The reason that such gory and gut wrenching things happen to her is because, despite the fact that the murderous gang is only a few hundred yards behind her, she stops to help one of their prior victims. When she returns from the dead inhabited by an Apache warrior, you’re really going to root for her to kick some ass! I genuinely hope that Adrienne won or will win a ton of awards for her role here.
Being that this is a rape-revenge flick, I’m sure a lot of you figured that I’d really hone in on the bloody and violent aspects of this movie. Quite the contrary! I was drawn in more to all the symbolic moments, contrasting moments, and thematic elements within Avenged. Maybe it’s because there was a strong Native American influence in the movie, but I can’t help but to feel as if there is a lot more than meets the eye here. Some things I picked up on are legacy vs. ancestry, primitive weapons vs. modern guns, and the saying, “It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” Mostly, though, what I picked up on was that there are so many more sides to revenge in Avenged than in other movies. In moments Zoe is self aware and can grab hold of her humanity again and she feels bad about what she’s doing and is embarrassed to be seen by her boyfriend played by Marc Anthony Samuel – who’s fantastic, too! Even though such horrible things were forced on her, it’s obvious that this is not the type of revenge that Zoe wants. Not this way at least.
The production quality in Avenged is top notch. I can’t find a single critique as a reviewer and as a person with a degree in film. This can also be said for the special effects. They were realistic and grotesque. Avenged has a very nostalgic, vintage feel to it which I thought worked really well here. The film takes place in the current year – I could tell by the Zoe taking selfies – but it looks as if it were filmed in the early 80s. The clothes, the cars… Even the quality of film. I loved it. And as with my above sentiments, I want to reiterate that Avenged is more than just a rape-revenge flick. It has awesome action sequences including a fight on the flatbed of a pick up truck and a chainsaw fight in the desert. Just so, so good! It’ll have you screaming “kick his ass!”
Avenged is brutal, suspenseful, and gratifying all at the same time. More importantly, it is well worth the price of a theater ticket, stream, or DVD purchase. Final Score: 9 out of 10.
