A Vigilante is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Sarah Daggar-Nickson. It stars Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Kyle Catlett, C.J. Wilson, Tonye Patano, Chuck Cooper, Betsy Aidem and Judy Marte.
| A Vigilante | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sarah Daggar-Nickson |
| Written by | Sarah Daggar-Nickson |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Alan McIntyre Smith |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2018, and was released on March 29, 2019, by Saban Films.
Plot
Sadie is a woman attending a support group following her abandonment of her husband. She works as a vigilante, helping men, women, and children escape abusive homes. She struggles with money, asking for whatever the people she helps can give and attempting to redeem a life insurance policy after her husband goes missing.
We see her obsessively training with a punching bag, behind her is a map that has been marked off in a search pattern.
Sadie is invited to the home of Andrea (Betsy Aidem) and Michael Shaund (C.J. Wilson) under the pretense of working for medical insurance. Sadie instead beats up Michael and forces him to transfer his money to his wife and leave their home. Sadie tells Andrea to pass on her details to anyone she feels needs them.
Sadie then rescues a young boy and his infant brother from their drug-addled mother, who had been keeping the infant locked away. She tells the boy the police and social services will arrive soon - he asks her to take care of them, but she says she cannot as they would not be safe with her but leaves her number in case anyone else ever hurts them. Returning to her car she cries, obviously guilty that she could not do more.
In group therapy, Sadie confesses her past: Her husband wanted her and her young son to move out of their home and live off the grid. When she tried to escape with her son, he chased them both with a knife and killed their son in a fit of rage.
In a flashback we see Sadie return to her old home after the tragedy, finding a book on the Israeli martial art Krav Maga which takes her interest. She finds some of her son's belongings there including a sketch he drew with his initial the letter C prominently displayed. She also spots a poster for Lake Placid that had been left behind. We then see her leave a note for her group therapy leader telling her she is available to help other women in trouble.
Returning to her room she notices something odd about her map, looking closer she sees what looks like a bloody fingerprint - and is suddenly ambushed and knocked unconscious.
Sadie wakes up bound, her husband (Morgan Spector) taunting her and welcoming her back home. He tears up the sketch her son made of his own initial letter C. He then leaves her restrained to go hunt for food. She escapes, and after a lengthy struggle and chase, she overpowers and kills her husband, dumping his body on the road for the police to find.
Sadie returns to her attorney, who tells her that since the police found her husband's body, and don't seem willing to look further into the case considering the lack of evidence and his criminal record, that the life insurance claim will be processed. Sadie then leaves, traveling again to help another woman that had contacted her.
Cast
- Olivia Wilde as Sadie
- Morgan Spector as Sadie's Husband
- Tonye Patano as Beverly
- Judy Marte as Straight Up Shelter Woman
- Betsy Aidem as Andrea Shaund
- C.J. Wilson as Michael Shaund
- Chuck Cooper as Lawyer
- Kyle Catlett as Zach
- Estefania Tejeda as Counseling Group Woman #1
- Olivia Gilliat as Margaret Turner
- Cheryse Dyllan as Charlene Jackson
- Margot Bingham as Joyce Richards
Production
In November 2016, it was announced Olivia Wilde had been cast in the film, with Sarah Daggar-Nickson directing from a screenplay she wrote. Randall Emmett, George Furla, Andrew D. Corkin, Lars Knudsen and Ambyr Childers served as producers on the film, under their Badlands Entertainment, The Long Run, Uncorkd Productions, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films and Parts & Labor banners, respectively.[1]
Release
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2018.[2] Shortly after, Saban Films had acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[3] It was released on March 29, 2019.[4]
Reception
A Vigilante received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 40 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by Olivia Wilde's fearless performance and elevated by timely themes, A Vigilante is an uncompromising thriller that hits as hard as its protagonist."[5] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 68 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
References
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 1, 2016). "Olivia Wilde To Star In Emmett/Furla's 'A Vigilante'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "A Vigilante". South by Southwest. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (September 8, 2018). "Toronto: Saban, DirecTV Nab Olivia Wilde Pic 'A Vigilante' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Crust, Kevin; Cooper, Matthew (January 10, 2019). "Winter movie preview: 'Captain Marvel,' 'Miss Bala,' 'Dumbo' and a complete list". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ "A Vigilante". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "A Vigilante Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
External links
- A Vigilante at IMDb