Saturated in a cacophony of teenage movie nostalgia, Netflix’s dark comedy Do Revenge is a modern love letter to its ‘90s and early 2000s cult classic origins. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s sophomore feature follows Drea (Camila Mendes), Rosehill’s “It Girl” who falls from her pedestal, as she teams up with Eleanor (Maya Hawke), the awkward transfer student about to star in her very own makeover montage. Forming an alliance, the two work together in secret vowing to “do revenge” on each other’s enemies. Co-written by Celeste Ballard, and loosely based on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951), Do Revenge pulls from the blueprint of witty extravagance the late ‘90s/early 2000’s teen movie mapped out. The result? A modern tale on Gen-Z culture, female friendship, and satisfyingly divine comeuppance.
We are welcomed to the prestigious private high school of Rosehill alongside Eleanor as Gabbi (Talia Ryder) gives her a tour of the school — “as a disciple of the ‘90s teen movie, I would be offended if I didn’t get one.” The tour provides a quick look at the different cliques of students, ending with “Rosehill’s Royal Court” and their “fallen queen,” Drea. Miss Drea Torres is the quintessential American Dream; in the top clique, at Rosehill on a full scholarship, sights set on attending Yale, and dating Rosehill’s golden boy, Max. Of course, everything is ruined when the sexy video Max asked Drea to make for him is leaked. Of course, Max claims he was hacked when the video is found circulating through school the next morning. Of course, Drea calls bullshit and punches him in the face, landing her (and, of course, not Max) in the Headmaster’s office.
Drea, unlike many students at Rosehill, cannot afford to slip up — both literally and metaphorically. Her throw at Max lands her in probation as her scholarship is threatened. To further illustrate her class disparity, Drea spends her summer working at the tennis camp many of her peers attend. This is where Drea meets Eleanor for the first time. Like Drea, Eleanor is also an outsider. She is plagued with the traumatic rumors of her past and still lives with the insecurities formed from the ostracization she received via her peers. When Eleanor gives Drea a ride home after her car fails to start, the two begin the formation of an unlikely friendship.
Eleanor and Drea have instant, undeniable chemistry. It shouldn’t work;he two girls could not be more different, connected only by their understanding of one another as social pariahs. Yet, Mendes and Hawke’s real-life chemistry transfers seamlessly to the screen. Their genuineness has you nodding along when Drea tells Eleanor she must be her “fucked up soulmate.” Mendes’ comedic delivery is unmatched, and Hawke’s intricate and endearing portrayal of Eleanor is transformative. While neither girl is always likable — they are loveable.
Providing an authentic representation of the microcosm that is high school and the complexities that come with being a teenage girl surrounded by other teenage girls, Drea and Eleanor oscillate between archer and prey. Female friendships are complicated. They are messy and intense in a way that’s often scary, but incredibly rewarding. Robinson captures this labyrinthine experience; where teenage girls can go from being pit against each other to crying in each other’s arms, pinky-promise-best-friends-forever. It’s easy to laugh at, to dismiss for naivety, but there’s a magic to teenage girls that’s intimidating to be outside of. While Do Revenge goes beyond the normal codes of friendship complexities, it always remains aware of its fantasy, never taking itself too seriously. Robinson captures that intensity and displays it with delicate care and fervency.
The team behind the creation of Do Revenge is just as calculating and meticulous as its characters can be. The quirky pastel aesthetic from customer designer Alana Morshead and the striking whimsicality from production designer Hillary Gurtler craft a stunning visual experience. The film is vibrant and over the top. Each scene is filled with eccentric outfits and fanciful, campy production that aids to create an atmosphere as wonderfully absurd as the plot. Robinson’s strength truly shines in her ability to pay tribute to these films while still creating a story that feels fresh. Better than just homage, she redefines what the campy teen movie means to the new generation. This isn’t a slice of life — it’s not trying to be. Do Revenge pushes you to the edge of ludicrous, but never crosses into anarchy. Robinson holds a tactful grip on the narrative, merging generations and proving herself a robust filmmaker.
There are many easter eggs in reference to the beloved Y2K era of teen movies found throughout the film. Rosehill’s uniforms are a modern take on Cher Horowitz’s iconic fit in Clueless. Drea’s seen writing with a pink, fluffy pen like Cher, and there’s even a sign reading “Horowitz Hall” as Drea leaves one of the classrooms. There’s a visual nod to the unveiling of the Burn Book sequence in Mean Girls, a cheeky Heathers-like croquet shot, and an updated paintball date as made famous in 10 Things I Hate About You. And, much like the films from which it was inspired, the cast of Do Revenge is composed of those in their early 20s. This is a deliberate choice, a callback to the movies Robinson and crew grew up with where seventeen-year-olds would be played by actors sometimes double their character’s age.
Cruel Intentions is, perhaps, the biggest inspiration found in Do Revenge. During one of the school assemblies, Gabbi is seen reading the French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which inspired the 1999 film. At the end of Do Revenge, Drea and Eleanor speed down the highway in a vintage convertible, drawing a parallel to Annette (Reese Witherspoon) in the final moments of Cruel Intentions. A poster child for teen media of the ‘90s/’00s, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s role as the Headmaster of Rosehill serves more than just provoking a delightful squeal from audiences, her role as “Adult” (the only adult in the film) acts as a bridge between one generation to the next. A sort of passing of the adolescent torch.
Like Robinson’s first feature film from 2019, Someone Great, music is crucial to Do Revenge. A soundtrack mixing Third Eye Blind and OMC’s “How Bizzare” with Olivia Rodrigo’s “brutal” and the MUNA/Phoebe Bridgers collab, “Silk Chiffon” may seem too chaotic. But, blending music from Robinson’s era of inspiration with current songs in contemporary culture situates Do Revenge succinctly in the early 2020s and allows the film to pay respects to its nostalgic past. While some filmmakers find it detrimental to “date” their work, this is a distinct quality of the teen films. They are, undoubtedly, a product of the time in which they were created. Music, then, acts as another bridge from the old to the new.
While Do Revenge may seem like a freshman entering a classroom full of seniors, it can keep up. A clever little throwback packaged in candy-coated modernity, Do Revenge upends Hollywood’s notion of the revenge narrative as it explores the murky line between right and wrong, homage or replica; just and desserts.
