A History Of Violence is a drama thriller film directed by David Cronenberg. The story begins when two hitmen decide to rob the restaurant of former mob moss Tom Stall/ Joey Cusack (Viggo Mortensen), who has spent the last few decades pretending to be someone else. After Stall deftly kills both the hitmen it starts off a chain of events that bring both of his lives to the brink; proving that one can never escape their history.
I have been meaning to watch this film for some time and now I have, I am pleased to say it is terrific. The violence in this film feels so real and visceral that you can’t hope but stand up and take notice. It feels really well done and brutal, in many ways it reminds me of something like John Wick or The Raid; it never stopped being shocking.
Mortensen plays both sides of his character with flair, he is charming and paternal when he is playing Stall; embodying small town charisma. He also plays Cusack with an unpredictable, threatening menace that will send chills down your spine, you never know when he is going to snap into a violent rage. The real merit of Mortensen’s performance is the fact that he manages to bring both of these fantastic separate performances together into one whole character.
I think there is a real sense of tension to this film, as the two personalities become more and more out of control and Stall/ Cusack’s relationship with his family becomes more and more rocky. The scene between Tom and his wife on the stairs has aged poorly, but it show everything I am talking about, it is uncomfortable and hard to watch.
Overall, I think this is one of Cronenberg and Mortensen’s best films and is a must watch.
Pros.
The performance of duality.
Viggo Mortensen.
The tension.
The violence.
Cons.
That scene between Tom and his Wife on the stairs has a few issues.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke
Another Millennial Reviewer 