You might assume that the stars of the US version of The Office all focus on comedy, but that’s clearly not the case. B.J. Novak, who played sleazy intern Ryan as one of the regular cast of the classic workplace comedy, directed a movie in 2022 that’s now on Netflix.
Vengeance, which was added to Netflix UK’s library on Friday, August 9, was the first movie directed by Novak, and he also wrote it and stars in it. As the name suggests, it’s not a comedy but a crime thriller, although it has some funny parts.
Channeling his old character Ryan, Novak plays a New York City yuppie called Ben. Ben is a womanizer who struggles to comprehend a lasting commitment, and wants to be a crime podcaster. When a former hookup of his is murdered in Texas, and he’s mistaken by the family as the woman’s boyfriend, Ben travels to the state to pay his respects. However he soon realizes that this murder could help him fulfill his podcasting dreams.
Novak stars alongside Boyd Holbrook, Ashton Kutcher and Issa Rae, all performing larger-than-life characters involved with Ben or the woman from his past Abilene. Musician John Mayer also shows up in a surprising cameo.
While it might be a tall order watching an entire movie with Ryan as the main character, Vengeance leans into that. Lots of the story is about Ben’s complete failure to comprehend his flaws, or how annoying he is, and much of the humor is at his expense. If you watch the first five minutes and can’t stand his character then trust me, you’ll be rewarded if you endure.
It’s got a surprising amount of heart too, even if there are a few little issues with the movie here and there. It’s probably the best movie on Netflix I’ve watched all summer!
Vengeance was really well received when it came out, with 82% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher 86% audience score. It went to Peacock in the US pretty soon after its theatrical release (now it’s on Starz) but has never been made available to watch via streaming services in the UK before.
It’s got a little bit for everyone: there’s the crime thriller main plot, with a more thoughtful meditation on human connections lying below the surface if you want subtext, plus there’s a lot of comedy (especially from Boyd Holbrook’s Ty Shaw and the rest of the family.
So if you’re looking for something to watch on Netflix this weekend, I’d certainly recommend it, even if it failed to make a peep on the streamer’s top 10 movies ranking in the UK.
