Vicious has an intriguing premise and a lot of great jump scares, but somewhere along the line it looses itself. Still, Dakota Fanning is incredible.
Vicious has a lot of great elements to it. From an intriguing and unique premise, to a phenomenal lead performance, there are a lot of things this movie gets right. Unfortunately, it goes on a bit too long and ends up getting in its own way, leaving some viewers more confused and frustrated than anything else.
When a strange, lost, and seemingly confused woman shows up at her door, Polly (Dakota Fanning) has a much different evening than she expected to. Her night quickly turns to terror as she is tasked with putting three things in a box – something she hates, something she needs, and something she loves – and is given dire consequences should she not accomplish it.
Kathryn Hunter doesn’t have a large role in Vicious, but it is a very important one. She helps to set the tone for what is to come and does a great job with what she is given. Viewers will immediately start to wonder what exactly she is up to. She is just creepy enough to keep us entertained, but not too creepy that it is hard to watch.
Dakota Fanning is at the center of Vicious, as expected. She is the main focus of the movie and is often on screen completely by herself. It should come as no surprise that she gives it her all, delivering an incredible performance. It is easy to root for her as a character, despite the well known fact that she is flawed. After all, we are all flawed in one way or another, aren’t we?
Polly is an easy character to root for, especially when she is interacting with her niece (Emily Mitchell) that she loves dearly. There are not a lot of characters in Vicious, but whenever Dakota Fanning is given the chance to act opposite someone, she tries to keep things interesting. That said, the movie is at its best when it is just her.
There are a lot of effective jumpscares and some great visuals in Vicious. Once again, it is a truly interesting premise that could support an entire franchise when done correctly.
The biggest issue with Vicious is that it has a few moments that could have (and perhaps should have) been natural endings. It ends up dragging on far too long, and as the story continues, it starts to negate lore and the rules of this world that seem to have been already established. Surely the reasoning here is to cause the audience to wonder, alongside Polly, what is and isn’t actually happening, but instead it just creates confusion and frustration.
Considering Vicious is a straight to Paramount+ movie, it can be offered some leway. There are a lot of things that work, but unfortunately in the end it takes away from all the good it did early on by switching things up in the final act.
Some other Fantastic Fest attendees shared theories that the messaging is about depression and suicide thoughts, which I can see, but that doesn’t fix that the lore gets jumbled long after it should have ended.
About Vicious
When Polly (Dakota Fanning) receives a mysterious Box from an unexpected late-night visitor, it comes with a simple instruction: place three things inside: something you need, something you hate, and something you love.
What begins as a strange ritual quickly unravels into a waking nightmare. Trapped in a terrifying world where reality bends and memory betrays, Polly must navigate a series of impossible choices. As time slips away, she’s forced to confront the darkness not just around her, but within her–before it consumes everything and everyone she’s ever known.
Vicious is streaming October 10 on Paramount+.
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Dakota Fanning delivers an incredible performance & the premise is intriguing, but unfortunately it ends up dragging on too long. As the story continues, it starts to negate the lore and the rules of this world that seem to have been already established.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.