Movie Reviews

‘Random Acts of Violence’ Blu-Ray Review – Sadistic, Bloody Horror Film Fumbles Attempt At Social Commentary

By Dillon Gonzales
March 1, 2021
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What responsibility does one have when creating art filled with visceral violence as a form of entertainment? Can glorifications of murder and torture inspire an otherwise stable person to commit similar acts, or is any horrific event that happens something that was always going to be perpetrated regardless of the entertainment the person consumed? These are only a few of the high-minded questions posited by actor-director Jay Baruchel’s uneven sophomore feature Random Acts of Violence. Based on the 2010 comic of the same name by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, the film follows Todd (Jesse Williams), creator of the controversial comic Slasherman. Notable for being the “No. 1 R-rated comic,” Slasherman draws inspiration from a series of killings perpetrated by the “I-90 Killer” along that highway several decades ago. While attempting to bring closure to his character, Todd finds life beginning to imitate art in increasingly brutal ways. This overly-meta movie attempts to critique genre tropes while simultaneously struggling not to be drawn into them.

As the mastermind behind the Slasherman series, Todd often finds himself the target of criticism from those who believe his art glorifies a sickening figure of tragedy. While he has stoically weathered such attacks, it does appear to rub him the wrong way that his girlfriend Kathy (Jordana Brewster) is writing a book that aims to take the spotlight away from the real-life killer and instead focus on the victims of this violence. This is only compounded by the fact that he has chosen to finally end the Slasherman saga after many years, but he is struggling to find the perfect ending. As a desperate attempt for inspiration, Todd and Kathy decide to take a road trip along the original sites of the crimes with Todd’s pushy business partner Ezra (Baruchel) and assistant Aurora (Niamh Wilson), who longs to be a comic book artist herself. Along the way, Todd has to confront his role in the lore of the infamous killer not only from the friends of victims, but more viscerally as new killings start being perpetrated that mirror the pages of his comic books.

The film itself poses a lot of philosophical questions about society’s fascination with brutality, but the message feels muddled as it succumbs to said excessive violence. Random Acts of Violence takes a brutally realistic approach to the murders that are depicted on screen. The I-90 Killer, clad in his signature welding mask, is not depicted as some perfect killing machine that cannot be stopped. Rather, Baruchel portrays him as something of a clumsy, everyman who has to psyche himself up to go get the job done. It honestly makes the sequences that much more visceral, as if you are a voyeur of a crazed madman running down your street killing with wanton regard. The special effects work presented within this film is impressive in its sickening execution. There is a House of 1,000 Corpses-esque tableau near the end of the film that is a wonder of production design. Fans of stomach-churning gore will find much to delight over here, but those with a lower threshold for brutality will struggle to make it through this one.

The actions of the killer are strong for the horror genre, until you reach the bizarre finale, but our POV characters tend to be saddled with either baffling decisions or trite dialogue. At one point, Todd has his hand slashed at a book signing, and the story moves away from this creepy development with no stakes attached to it. The film may mercifully run only a scant 80 minutes, but the storytelling contained within is fairly sloppy with ambitions that cannot be realized in the final product. The performances from all of the main cast members are enjoyable for the type of film that this is trying to be. While the supporting characters may mostly be caricatures that present as surface-deep, the core group at least tries to bring something more substantial to the table. Visually, Baruchel shows quite a flair for filmmaking with a strong eye towards impactful framing and scene construction. It is when we get down to the basic elements of the story where the narrative starts to falter somewhat. The conclusion of the film feels contrived and the pseudo-intellectual bookends makes the film seem like it is trying to be more important than it actually is. This is a film with a few too many grand ideas that cannot come together to elevate the narrative to something revolutionary.

Video Quality

Random Acts of Violence comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer that showcases the look of the film really well. Where the transfer really shines is the impressive level of detail both in the animated world of Slasherman and in real life. Everything from the smallest facial details to the texture of the animation is quite impressive. The cinematography features some nice pops of color with everything appearing very natural, setting aside the times where Baruchel uses intense filters of red and green. These colors bring a vibrancy to the story that is appreciated in the way it keeps with the comic book aesthetic. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few darker scenes. Black levels are admirable but could stand to be a bit deeper. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. Overall, this is quite a powerful transfer that should please fans.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is quite powerful and well balanced. Environmental effects play a substantial role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low end delivers quite a jolt during much of the presentation, especially in the Slasherman carnage. RLJE Films has delivered a fierce track for a film that really packs a punch.

Special Features

Interview with Director Jay Baruchel: A pretty substantial 36-minute virtual Q&A in which Baruchel discusses what inspired him to get into the horror genre, themes he wanted to tackle in this project, how development delays helped improve the script, taking away the typical structure of a horror film and more.

More Than Just A Scary Movie: A two-minute featurette in which the cast members offer some insights into the film and why they were drawn to the story.

Inside The Making of an Action Scene: A six-minute behind-the-scenes look at the staging and filming of the junkyard scene near the end of the film.

Final Thoughts

Random Acts of Violence tries a bit too hard to seem edgy or groundbreaking, which often leaves it feeling hollow. Those who appreciate stark brutality will eat up the horrific nature of the film, but those looking for something truly different will need to keep looking. Director Jay Baruchel has a good eye for visuals, but he needs to hone in his lofty script ideas the next time he tries his hand at crafting a film. RLJE Films has delivered a Blu-Ray with a pretty great A/V presentation and a few interesting special features to round out the package. This one is only recommended for horror fans looking for some unflinching depictions of violence.

Random Acts of Violence is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.