The Vicious Kind is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Lee Toland Krieger. It stars Adam Scott, Brittany Snow, Alex Frost, and J. K. Simmons. It follows a misanthropic man who tries to warn his brother away from the new girlfriend he brings home during Thanksgiving, but ends up becoming infatuated with her in the process.
Peter is an idealistic college student on Thanksgiving break, and his older brother Caleb is begrudgingly giving him a ride home. At school, Peter has found a new girlfriend, Emma Gainsborough, and Caleb immediately grills him for details. We find out that Emma and Peter met while Emma was dating another fraternity boy. Despite this, Peter says she's a "good girl" while Caleb immediately perceives her to be a "whore."
Caleb is immediately antagonistic to Emma, but they eventually arrive at the home of the boys' father, Donald. Caleb drops them off, but not before revealing to Emma that he and Donald do not get along and that this will be the last time he will see them this weekend. Donald comes off as well-meaning, if somewhat crude and flirtatious.
Caleb has been having difficulty sleeping, and whenever he tries to sleep he keeps seeing images of his ex-girlfriend, Hannah, who behaves and looks strikingly similar to Emma. Hannah has been continuously calling Caleb without speaking, so he drops off pictures of himself having sex with a prostitute at her doorstep, ringing the bell and fleeing.
Caleb runs into Emma twice over the next two days, once at the bowling alley and again at the grocery store. He ends up physically and verbally attacking her, and threatens her not to hurt Peter, who is a good kid (and a virgin). Moments later, he breaks down, begging for her forgiveness.
That night, Emma sees Caleb trying to sneak around the yard with a camera. Emma wants an explanation about what happened earlier. Caleb goes into his belief on what he heard about her at school, his girlfriend Hannah who cheated on him, and his lack of sleep, which has further muddled his actions and behavior. Caleb eventually leaves, feeling better after these confessions.
The next morning, Emma asks Donald about Peter's mother, and he reveals that she died when Caleb and Peter were young. Donald also says that his wife cheated on him prior to being diagnosed with cancer and that no one visited her in her final months. At work, Caleb reveals he managed to fall asleep for a few minutes the night before.
Caleb, Peter and Emma go to a restaurant together. During a moment alone, Caleb assures Emma that he doesn't have feelings for her before forcibly kissing her. Emma says nothing about it to Peter. Caleb privately warns Peter to watch Emma carefully, because she's been eyeing him. Peter says he's in love with her and wants to give her his virginity, and Caleb laughs at the idea. Caleb apologizes for his ideas that she was a whore.
While Peter and Emma prepare to have intercourse, Peter reveals that what Donald told her is true, except that Caleb was the only one to see their mother before she died, and Caleb and Donald haven't spoken since. Caleb visits his prostitute, and asks her if it's normal to be in love with a perceived image of someone, even if that's not who they really are (likening Emma to Hannah). He then asks if she was abused as a child, which offends her. Caleb loses his temper, then comes back and gives her a better tip, implying that his perception and treatment of women is evolving.
Caleb tries apologizing to Emma for kissing her and says he'll try not to bother her anymore. Emma reveals she has accidentally locked herself out of the house, and Caleb manages to get them both inside through a window. Emma falls on top of Caleb, and they seem like they might be about to kiss before she rebukes him and asks him never to see her again. Caleb leaves, and Emma returns to the place they embraced to masturbate.
At a bar, Caleb's co-worker JT asks him if he's had sex with Emma yet, and he says no, but he wants to. He spots some men sexually harassing a woman and ends up fighting them, marking another change in him.
Peter tries to have sex with Emma but ejaculates prematurely. Caleb drives over to see Emma, and this time, she doesn't rebuke him when he kisses her, and eventually, they end up having passionate sex in Caleb's old room.
Emma asks why Caleb was the only one to see his mother before she died. He reveals he was hurt by her cheating, and shut her out of his life. However, he eventually discovered that Donald had been the one cheating until his wife finally left, never thinking that he would refuse to let her see her sons. Caleb never told Peter because he was only 12. Emma tells Caleb she was a virgin. Caleb leaves, shocked at what he did, and reminds Emma that Peter is in love with her. On his way out, he runs into his father who deduces what happened and says he'll tell Peter. Caleb calls him a coward for erasing him out of his life. They both hide as Peter goes to Emma's room, and Caleb dictates to Donald that he won't tell Peter what he did, otherwise he'll tell him Donald's secrets and he'll lose both his sons. Peter and Emma sleep together, and he loses his virginity to her.
The next morning, Donald drives them to the train station. On the way, Peter tells Emma he loves her, but it causes Emma to cry. Donald confesses to Peter that he's made mistakes, and that sometimes, people know what they are doing is wrong but they do it anyway, because the right thing is painful. The two of them alone again, Caleb rings Donald's doorbell and Donald invites him in, their relationship beginning to mend at last.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 70% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[4]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[5]
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times stated, "Despite the film's occasional unforced moments, the characters spend far too much time working through their problems with drama-deadening directness. By the time a late act of betrayal occurs, followed by an even less persuasive denouement, the truth of this world has drained away."[6] Peter Knegt of IndieWire wrote, "There are unexpected, uneasy laughs from start to finish as well as a cast of unlikable characters. Krieger's risks fail as often as they succeed. As a result, Vicious Kind is overly melodramatic and extreme."[7]Justin Chang of Variety opined, "Before it bogs down in one too many moments of cathartic reckoning, The Vicious Kind is an unpredictable, off-kilter and scabrously funny piece of work."[8]Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "Krieger's scabrous dialogue and incisive characterizations consistently sustain interest, and the performers provide intriguingly complex layers to their characters. Scott and Snow are the obvious standouts, but Frost and Simmons are equally fine in their less showy roles."[9] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times remarked, "Featuring a knockout performance by Adam Scott, The Vicious Kind upends the heavily tread dysfunctional family drama in ways that are unique, surprising and memorable."[10]Kyle Smith of the New York Post wrote, "Scott's performance is much more interesting that the indie film's story line" and "Krieger and Scott come up with a caustic anti-hero worthy of being played by Jack Nicholson in the 1970s."[11]
The Cooler is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer. The film stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Baldwin. It follows a casino "cooler" whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), 500 Days of Summer (2009), and Our Idiot Brother (2011). She has also ventured into dramatic film territory with Manic (2001), All the Real Girls (2003), Winter Passing (2005), Bridge to Terabithia (2007), The Happening (2008), and The Driftless Area (2015). From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.
Welcome to the Dollhouse is a 1995 American coming-of-age black comedy film written and directed by Todd Solondz. An independent film, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and launched the careers of Solondz and Heather Matarazzo. The story follows the unpopular middle schooler Dawn as she goes to extreme lengths trying to earn the respect of her vicious fellow students and her uninterested family. Dawn reappears in two of Solondz's other films, Palindromes and Wiener-Dog while her brother and father appear in the former in addition to Life During Wartime. The film's working title was Faggots and Retards.
Emily Jean "Emma" Stone is an American actress and producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actress and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
American Teen is a 2008 documentary film directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by 57th & Irving. It competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Directing Award: Documentary. Following the Sundance Film Festival, the movie was picked up by Paramount Vantage and was released to general cinema July 25, 2008.
Heartland is a Canadian family comedy-drama television series which debuted in Canada on CBC Television and originally in the United States on The CW Plus syndication on October 14, 2007. Since 2010, the series moved first-run to Up TV, but still continues to air in reruns on the latter channel as a part the service's weekend schedule.
Frozen is a 2010 American psychological horror thriller film written and directed by Adam Green, and starring Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers, and introducing Emma Bell in her film debut. It tells the story of three friends stranded in a chairlift after a day of skiing, forced to make life-or-death choices in order to survive and get down.
The Art of Getting By is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser, Sam Robards, Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. It is the first feature by writer-director Gavin Wiesen. The film premiered under the title Homework at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Amy Seimetz is an American actress and filmmaker. She has appeared in several productions, including AMC's The Killing, HBO's Family Tree, and films like Upstream Color, Alien: Covenant, Pet Sematary, and No Sudden Move.
Lee Toland Krieger is an American film director and screenwriter best known for the films The Vicious Kind (2009), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012) and The Age of Adaline (2015).
Fruitvale Station is a 2013 American biographical drama film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It is Coogler's feature directorial debut, and is based on the events leading to the death of Oscar Grant, a young man killed in 2009 by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale district station in Oakland, California. The film stars Michael B. Jordan as Grant, with Kevin Durand and Chad Michael Murray playing the two BART police officers involved in Grant's death, although their names were changed for the film. Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly, and Octavia Spencer also star.
The Voices is a 2014 satirical psychological horror comedy film directed by Marjane Satrapi, written by Michael R. Perry, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and Jacki Weaver. It had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on February 6, 2015, by Lionsgate. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with many highlighting Reynolds’ performance.
In a World... is a 2013 American comedy film written, directed, starring, and co-produced by Lake Bell. The film stars Bell as a vocal coach who does voice-overs for film trailers. The film co-stars Demetri Martin, Fred Melamed, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, and Tig Notaro.
Hannah Margalit Fidell is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Her directorial debut was the drama film A Teacher (2013). She also wrote and directed the romantic drama film 6 Years (2015) and the comedy film The Long Dumb Road (2018).
The Long Dumb Road is a 2018 American road trip comedy film written, directed and produced by Hannah Fidell and co-written by Carson D. Mell. It stars Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, Casey Wilson, Pamela Reed, and Ron Livingston.
Puzzle is a 2018 American drama film directed by Marc Turtletaub and written by Oren Moverman and Polly Mann, based on the 2010 Argentine film of the same name. It stars Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Bubba Weiler, Austin Abrams, Liv Hewson, and follows a stay-at-home mother who enters a puzzle building competition. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics then acquired the worldwide rights to the film, and released it on July 27, 2018.
Searching is a 2018 American screenlife mystery thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty in his feature debut, written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. Set entirely on computer screens and smartphones, the film follows a father trying to find his missing 16-year-old daughter with the help of a police detective. This was the first mainstream Hollywood thriller headlined by an Asian-American actor.
The Souvenir is a 2019 romantic drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Joanna Hogg. The film is a semi-autobiographical account of Hogg's experiences at film school. It stars Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, and Tilda Swinton. It follows a young, quietly ambitious film student who embarks on her first serious love affair with a charismatic and mysterious man.
Molly Gordon is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has appeared in the drama TV series Animal Kingdom (2016–2018), and comedy films Life of the Party (2018), Booksmart (2019), and Good Boys (2019). In 2023, she co-directed, co-wrote and starred in the musical comedy film Theater Camp, and took on a recurring role as Claire on the FX series The Bear (2023–present).
The Souvenir Part II is a 2021 drama film, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. It is a sequel to The Souvenir (2019). It stars Honor Swinton Byrne, Jaygann Ayeh, Richard Ayoade, James Spencer Ashworth, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Heaton, Joe Alwyn, and Tilda Swinton.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
