A History Of violence (2005) Review

I always find it fascinating to see the way a director will show their trademarks even when they're working in different genres. In the case of this movie, it's not a full blown "body horror" like Cronenbergs most popular films; in fact it's actually closer to a Stephen King story with its small town setting and its focus on the family dynamic. But this movie has a visceral, tactile feel that is able to pack a major punch without taking over the tone of the movie, and that's the sign of a director who's seared his trademarks into his DNA.

The most obvious moments to point to are the moments of violence, where each moment throws in an injury that's unexpected and far too specific, accompanied by some truly squirm-inducing sound design. But the moments I found just as interesting were outside of those scenes. How does a character react to a life altering piece of information? They throw up. How do we show the protagonists sex life? With all the same bumps and nuances of real life. Being tactile isn't just about being brutal, it's about being grounded, and giving the audience as many sensory invitations into this world as possible.

Outside of that, it's just a fantastic story. I felt that some of the momentum was lost in the second half, and the final few minutes don't feel like they had the right set up to be fully investing. But the first act is absolutely air tight, and even on second viewing I was constantly engaged by all the specific decisions of how Cronenberg reveals new story elements.

I have to rewatch a few more Cronenberg movies before I can make any confident announcement, but for now this is still my favourite movie of his.