Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Measure of Revenge’ on VOD, a Sloppy Psycho-thriller Pairing Bella Thorne and Melissa Leo

Now on VOD, Measure of Revenge pairs Oscar winner Melissa Leo with Disney-sweetheart-turned-badass Bella Thorne, and before you puzzle over that duo, keep in mind they’ve both been rather prolific as of late in the low-budget/indie film realm. This one’s no different – it’s a cheapo thriller from a first-time director known only as Peyfa (curiously, it features no credited screenwriter). Are those red flags I see? (Short answer: Yes indeed.)

MEASURE OF REVENGE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Lillian (Leo) is overjoyed. Her son Curtis (Jake Weary) is out of rehab. They’re a showbiz family: She’s a seasoned stage and screen actress currently playing one of the crones in a Broadway version of Macbeth. He’s a rock star who wrote a hit song a few years back that rocketed him and his band, The Red Drums, to fame. But as Behind the Music always goes, Curtis got into drugs and did too many and hit bottom. But now he’s in his redemption phase – he’s planning to propose to his girlfriend, who’s newly pregnant, and he’s turning his life around. Things with the band are crappo, but that’ll work itself out, right?

NOPE. One fateful night, Lillian wraps her performance and during the curtain call, a banner drops from above: WILL YOU MARRY ME? But where are Curtis and his girlfriend? Their seats are empty. Proposal delayed – FOREVER. Because they’re dead, flat on their faces with some type of sketchy amphetamine in their systems. And this is when Lillian loses all her shit and marbles. Awash in grief, she begins seeing things. Hearing things. Apparitions and shadowy whisperings tied to her many heavy-duty prestige roles in Shakespeare and literary adaptations in film and theatre with an “re” on the end because it’s more pretentious that way.

She believes a conspiracy is afoot, because Curtis wouldn’t just get out of treatment and kill himself, his fiancee and their unborn child. She noses around and finds his former dealer, Taz (Thorne) – as in “bad Tasmanian Devil tattoo” – who didn’t dish Curtis this particular junk, but feels that mama-grief and points Lillian toward some of the likely parties so she can… do what, exactly? Find out the truth so she can have a little closure? Or channel her inner Charles Bronson? Either way, Lillian’s quest puts her in the company of drug dealers, Curtis’ shithead bandmates and (shudder) sleazebag record-company execs. No spoilers here, mack, but you can probably guess which route this one’s taking. It’s a Bella Thorne movie titled Measure of Revenge after all.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Measure of Revenge is like Death Wish if it sucked and didn’t always make sense. Leo might also be channeling late-period Liam Neeson (you know, stuff like the Takens and Cold Pursuit and other generically titled action-thrillers).

Performance Worth Watching: Leo normally is the type of actress who can find at least a nugget of credibility in a bad movie, but the odds are really stacked against her here. Remember: No credited screenwriter. Nada. Zilch!

Memorable Dialogue: Per the credits, nobody wrote this:

Lillian: These three assholes have to pay.

Taz: That still won’t bring him back.

Lillian: But justice will be served!

Sex and Skin: Very brief female toplessness.

Our Take: Go figure – in this movie, Bella Thorne’s character is the voice of reason and Melissa Leo’s the loose nut. That’s the only surprise Measure of Revenge has to offer, considering it’s a fairly standard vengeance quest rendered nearly incoherent by the following elements: Editing via guillotine, sloppo cinematography, moronic rug-puller twists and whatever the hell is going on with the Leo character’s sanity. The film contrasts Thorne’s somnambulant performance — a supporting role — with the type of overwrought melodrama that makes histrionics look like transcendental meditation.

The movie’s weird melange of pretentiousness, surreality, uberdrama and nasty violence makes for quite an unpalatable gruel. It’d be a laff riot if Peyfa – if that is indeed your real name, not to be confused with Pitof – managed to stir up something resembling suspense or fun, but alas, it’s a drag even if you’re drunk. Measure of Revenge is chintzy bordering on incompetent. I’d call it shoddy junkola but I’d be doing a great disservice to junkola.

Our Call: Measure of Revenge? More like Displeasure of Revenge! SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com.