Villains

At around the halfway point, there are, quite thankfully, a few quiet moments and they work like gangbusters. This is because Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who co-wrote and co-directed Villains, aim at just the right level of heightened, exaggerated reality to stick the landing perfectly. They mix generous helpings of humor, often stemming from the utter ridiculousness of the situations, with empathetic drama, and most importantly, two very tender romances.

It might sound incongruous, given the dark plot, but the film heavily revolves around two romances. George and Gloria are over the moon for each other and, in their own twisted logic, their actions are signs of that affection. As far as Mickey and Jules are concerned, the audience quickly sees what each person brings to the table. They bounce ideas off each other naturally, and the way they calm one another down and help solve problems cements their status as soulmates.

There is a moment, late in the film, in which Mickey is kneeling in front of Sweetiepie apologizing, while at the same time George is doing the same thing to Gloria. While everyone is a bit broken, only one couple went over the edge. Seeing victims of circumstance turn to crime to keep afloat is one thing. Seeing such a couple believe that other people exist as their objects are something else entirely. Berk and Olsen’s understanding of these characters helps overcome the early plotting issues.

“…the illusion of perfection, much like the facade of a happy family as presented by the older couple.”

However, what elevates Villains to damn good is its cast. Everyone nails their role perfectly. Monroe and Skarsgård share such remarkable chemistry that the audience instantly buys their romance and are rooting for them within the first ten minutes; despite the issues with their introduction. To help Mickey focus, Jules does what she calls a car wash. He lays down, she straddles up and lets her long, flowing hair covers his entire head. So only her face is visible to him, and while it might sound goofy, these two actors sell it. It works to showcase their love.