Revenge? Do, or Don't

Do Revenge was necessary for Gen-Z to have a proper chick flick. While it wasn’t perfect, it exposed our generation to what was mastered in the 90s to early 2000s and then lost. We’ve been met with attempts to capture perfection, that all violently flopped. He’s All That? Exact remake and starring Addison Rae…pick a struggle. Tall Girl? Go ahead and cancel that sequel. Do Revenge? Finally, something I can get behind.

Do Revenge is about Drea and Eleanor, two girls at a prestigious private school, who need to get revenge on their peers who wronged them. They need to team up to secretly take each other’s enemies down.

From the costumes, then the cast, to the plot and its twists, I was hooked. The cast was filled with all your favorite Netflix teen TV show stars, and maybe some of your least favorite. It featured Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke playing the main characters. You may recognize those names from Riverdale and Stranger Things, but the star-studded cast doesn’t stop there. It also includes Alisha Boe from 13 Reasons Why, Austin Abrams from Euphoria, and even Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones. We all know Netflix has an issue with casting age-appropriate actors but Sophie Turner? Really?

While she did deliver an iconic and hilarious scene that Twitter user MarisaCasella1 deemed “Oscar-worthy”, I honestly could not tell if she was playing an adult or a teenager. I truly couldn’t keep track of why she was there, or who she was playing, which brings up the biggest problem with the movie. While trying to make a movie that people could praise as being complex, it became straight-up confusing.

This brings up a point Freshman Sarah Geraldi noted, she struggled to stay with the film because of this. While I loved the fast pace and exciting story, I can agree it was hard to follow at times. It made it a fun watch, but you should know going into it that you’ll have to think about it, and maybe do some research after.

Though it was meant to be exaggerated, Freshman Isabella Ondevilla thinks the humor was sort of irrelevant to Gen-Z audiences. While I agree, I think it’s almost impossible to have relevant jokes, as trends move so quickly.

But the music still managed to be perfect. There were queer icons featured that made perfect sense to be paired with Eleanor’s character, who is canonically a lesbian. This includes Hayley Kiyoko, chloe moriondo, and MUNA. Other artists: Maude Latour, who is a personal favorite of mine, Hole, and Olivia Rodrigo were also included. While it had a perfect 2022 soundtrack, the film made sure to revert back to its rom-com roots, with Dreams by The Cranberries playing as the final song of the movie. Sophomore, Charlotte Heads thought it was “really well fitting.”

Another great addition is the costumes, each student had such a strong personal style which created more complexity in the characters.

They showed the diversity throughout Gen-Z, and how unique personal style can really get. It channeled last year’s trends while putting a twist on them that can inspire this year’s. Costume designer Alana Morshead said that she was inspired by Clueless, which is very apparent when watching it. But you can also tell that she put her own 2022 twist on it.

As I said it does take place in a private school, so a cute uniform was perfect for this film. It helped bring together the aesthetic, while also showcasing character development, as they go along in the movie. The uniforms are all accessorized to the max, again helping us get to know the characters and start liking them.

When asked if she recommended it, Ondevilla said “Yes, I think it shows a good satire of Gen-Z humor and how it’s depicted.” I agree, if you like fashion, Maya Hawke, or rom-coms, Do Revenge is a must-watch.