‘Measure of Revenge’ Review: Melissa Leo Joins Forces With Uncredited Screenwriter on This Bafflingly Bad Thriller
variety.comMichael Nordine authorThe first sign of trouble is the credits. In addition to the director using an alias — not necessarily a bad thing, as talented helmers like Kogonada and Daniels can attest — whoever wrote “Measure of Revenge” chose to go uncredited.
It doesn’t take long to see why: A mess from start to finish, this would-be thriller about a mother seeking vengeance (Melissa Leo) never comes close to raising the pulse but does raise more than a few eyebrows along the way.
That it stars an Oscar winner only makes the whole thing stranger — viewers are likely to spend more time wondering how she came to be involved in such a shoestring production than sympathizing with her character.The plot, such as it is, concerns vaunted stage actor Lillian Cooper (Leo) grieving the unexpected death of her fresh-out-of-rehab son Curtis (Jake Weary), a semi-famous musician whose death is ruled an overdose despite all evidence suggesting he hadn’t relapsed.
Unconvinced by the official story, Lillian seeks out his former drug dealer (Bella Thorne), first to threaten her with a rather large knife, then to ask her for help finding out who actually supplied Curtis with the rare amphetamine that killed him.
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