Scavenger

However, Scavenger does fall into a trap a lot of its contemporaries do as well: it seems to rely on barbarity and sadism at the expense of character development. It is unclear how Tisha recalls Mr. Big from all those years ago, and a twist at the end falls entirely flat as that relationship is never properly explored. It is as if the shock of it all is meant to gloss over the holes that exist. It does not totally work.

Let’s continue discussing the negatives real quick, with a look at the biggest knock against the revenge tale that is easily remedied. See, Scavenger was only available to review by way of the dub, and it is awful; like Showa era Godzilla bad. The voice actors barely emote and sound tinny, lip movements do not match up, and the whole thing is distracting, to say the least. If possible, watch the subtitled version, as this dubbed is so amateurish it is almost humorous.

“The music and song selections throughout bring a lot of energy…”

But, not all is lost. For one, the actors (not those dubbing, but the actors on screen) are clearly all trying very hard. Churruarin conveys her frustrations and anger well while absolutely nailing the action scenes and selling this broken world well. The supporting cast is just as strong, with everyone making sure the proper emotions are conveyed through body language and facial expressions. Thus, even when the dub makes a person sound like a robot, the appropriate feeling of the scene is still understood.

But the element that pushes the film into firm recommendation territory is the score and soundtrack. The music and song selections throughout bring a lot of energy and a sense of fun to the proceedings that would not necessarily be present otherwise. Also, there are some fun jokes at the expense of the songs that are some of the only true moments of levity present.

Scavenger is not for everyone, as it is mean streak will turn some audience members off. Plus, the focus on shock over story cohesion means not all viewers who want to go down this road will be satisfied. But, the acting is good, the action is excellent, and the music elevates the whole affair all by itself. So watch the movie if this sounds like your cup of tea… just be sure to seek out a subtitled version, because yikes otherwise.