Do Revenge – Film Review

We live in a day and age in which romantic comedies are all so straight-oriented, which can be frustrating because we can’t help but wonder where all the queer-centric ones are. They do exist, but far too often they fall by the radar. One can only hope that Netflix’s latest rom-com Do Revenge soars to the top of the charts because it’s an incredible one, and serves as a reminder that LGBT stories are amazing.

This film was directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who also wrote the script alongside Celeste Ballard. Honestly, upon finding out that she was the person responsible for this film’s script, I was panicked. Why? She co-wrote the genuinely abysmal Thor: Love and Thunder, which just so happens to be the worst film in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Thankfully though, her script and direction here is extremely sharp and witty. Almost all of the jokes land really well and there’s not a single scene in this film that feels bland. Robinson’s style is very flashy, stylish and colorful, and those elements are all on display here.

Most of this film’s charm comes from the dynamic between its two lead characters Drea and Eleanor, who are both portrayed excellently by Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, respectively. Mendes has never been someone I’ve been a big fan of, but her work in this film is nothing short of terrific.

Hawke is one of my favorite actresses of all time, having delivered truly phenomenal performances in projects such as Stranger Things, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Fear Street Part One: 1994 for example. Here, Hawke seems like she’s never had so much fun playing a character in her entire life.

As Eleanor, she delivers such a sense of charisma, charm, and likability that not many actors would be able to bring to the table quite like Hawke does. The chemistry that she shares with her co-stars – namely Mendes – is a delight to see. Here’s hoping she gets an Oscar some day. She deserves it.

Something that shocked me about Do Revenge was just how many twists and turns the story took. Sometimes, this could be a fun thing as it seemed as if Robinson and Ballard completely re-invented the story in an exciting way. However, toward the end, these twists became a little bit too much and I started to get extremely confused.

Gratefully, the story is mainly straight-forward and it’s exactly one of those movies that you’d put on late at night and have a complete blast with. Oddly specific? Sure. But I know for a fact that if this movie was released back when I was in high school, it would have been my entire personality.

Netflix seriously needs to make more LGBTQ+ centric films, because Do Revenge is a promising start for them to be more inclusive with their content. This is an incredibly funny and entertaining film that should not be buried by the platform’s other content. Stream it this weekend and show the streaming giant that we want more content like this.