While suffering immense pain the other night, I decided to draw a hot bath with lavender Epsom salt and bubbles. I didn’t feel much like reading, so I set up my iPad on my bath caddy and tuned into Shudder, where I was immediately greeted with a disturbingly intriguing exclusive: Prevenge. Labeled as a black comedy/horror film, it’s blurb seemed like something I might find entertaining, so I tuned in – and I still have some rather mixed feelings about the film even now.
Prevenge is a hybrid, made up word combining pregnant and revenge – an apt description given that its main character is with child and seeking retribution against those she blames for her baby’s absent father. Ruth, played by Alice Lowe, is taken along for the ride as her unborn child takes control of the wheel, guiding her through several grisly murders, made amusing simply by the commentary provided between Ruth and the child.
Usually I’m not so hard-pressed to find words for a movie I’ve watched, but I feel like nearly every detail I want to discuss may give something away. It’s a witty movie, brimming with slasher moments and surprisingly mundane roles. There’s nothing extraordinary about its characters and that’s probably why I feel unsure of the film. In fact, the madness that envelops Ruth is extremely well written: the struggle between her and the desires of the unborn child is made extremely clear and there are many times I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
My biggest gripe is probably the ending: it doesn’t do much showing or telling in regards to whether Ruth succeeds at vengeance. Instead, it leaves it open, which I find to be frustrating. On the other hand, the filming itself was beautiful. There’s also the fact that it did manage to draw a few laughs out of me, even if I have absolutely no sense of humor.
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