Acts of Revenge: A Mother And Father’s Intense Grief Over the Death Of Their Son
You’ve probably been alive long enough to know what it feels like to want revenge. You might have already experienced how such emotions can take over your life.
You’ll likely relate to some of the feelings characters portrayed in the movie, “Acts of Revenge” express.
One major part of the plot centers on a grief support group but not the kind of setting you would expect.
The main character-Gordon Donnor–becomes involved with this group after his young son is killed in a hit-and-run crash. Gordon was grieving the loss of his son, and he was encouraged to attend the meetings. I knew this group would then reveal its “sinister secret agenda.” I had an itch that needed to be scratched. In other words, I watched from the beginning with a sense of anticipation and had the following questions:
1. My goodness…what is this “sinister secret agenda?”
2. How could this “agenda” play out in a grief support group out of all settings?
3. How would this affect Gordon or even put him in danger?
4. What would Gordon’s response be?
5. How would this particular grief support group affect his grief process?
Having been a bereavement group facilitator many times, I know attendees would expect a grief support meeting to be a safe place. When I come across a movie like this, I wonder what could make such a group unsafe–or at least drastically different from the norm. The movie creates a sense of anticipation and includes elements of surprise which make the concept all the more interesting. The characters discussed topics related to intense emotion, which was certainly expressed all throughout this film.
As an example, at about 55:13 in the movie, after multiple grief support group sessions, I felt the sense that something was about to happen, and those moments would be filled with surprises and turns of events. Sure enough, that was the case.
Unlike some films, the elements of surprise and anticipation make this one particularly interesting.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Reaction to the Movie
If you’re a parent watching the movie, you might put yourself in the shoes of the couple who lost their son. As the story unfolds, you would in a way, feel their intense pain. Then, you might walk away with a sense of relief, specifically as the guy’s mother boldly steps up, and the father unleashes his fury. I will say I was disappointed with the ending. Does it hold your interest? Absolutely! But if you like inspirational movies, this is probably not for you. In some parts of the film, the lack of certain scenes I would have included, particularly ones dealing with law enforcement, make ideas surrounding the situation unrealistic.
Summary
Overall, “Acts of Revenge” is in my opinion among the best psychological thriller movies. The film includes an interesting plot and reflects universal, human grief very well. As a Christian who believes vengeance belongs to God and forgiveness is crucial, my ending to the film would have been much different. To take revenge is not an example I would want to set or encourage people to do. However, from an entertainment standpoint, the movie still held my interest from start to finish. The story creates a sense of anticipation. I would have preferred the more realistic and inspirational route. Those in the field of psychology and involved in grief counseling and support groups would likely identify with and perhaps even benefit from some of the concepts presented in this film.
