Review: SHEVENGE (2019)
Shevenge is a collection of 12 shorts from women directors and linked by themes of revenge. The shorts are a mix of previously released and newer efforts that range from Izzy Lee’s For A Good Time Call to Staci Layne Wilson’s (Second Age Of Aquarius) previously unseen Karma is a Bitch.
Speaking of Ms. Wilson, she’s the one who assembled the collection as well as directing three segments and writing a fourth. She’s also donating the net profits from Shevenge to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.
Shevenge is divided into four segments and a wraparound hosted by Vanessa Gomez. The segments are Kiss and Kill, Murderous Moms, Anger Mismanagement and Love You To Pieces. The shorts themselves aren’t titled, (there are full titles and credits at the end), so it may be difficult to know which one you’re watching.
For the record they are: Wilson’s Psycho Therapy, Izzy Lee’s For A Good Time, Call…, Kate Beacom’s All Men Must Die, Michelle Nessk’s Just A Girl, Angela Atwood’s Lady Hunters, Misty Dawn’s Hooker Assassin, Cheryl Isaacson’s The Fetch, Tash Ann’s Glass Ceiling, Karen Lam’s Doll Parts, Wilson’s Karma Is A Bitch, Keely Martin’s Recipe #42, and Elaine Xia’s Metamorphosis. There’s also a wraparound, The Leftovers.
Like most anthologies, especially those with a large number of stories, the quality is varied. Most of the shorts in Shevenge are quite good though. The only one I had an issue with was Only A Girl and that was because its frequently flickering lighting started to give me a headache.
Highlights include the previously mentioned For A Good Time Call which may cure you of stopping at rest areas. Glass Ceiling which is really more of an action film than horror but kicks ass nonetheless. Doll Parts does a good job of retelling a well-used plot device of a killer picking up the wrong victim. Karma Is A Bitch, a twist on the Michelle Carter murder case. And Recipe #42 is a tale of culinary terror.
If you’re up for a themed anthology Shevenge is a good choice. It’s available on Amazon Prime in the US. You can also order a limited edition DVD on Wilson’s website.