Flashy, extreme, vengeful chick flick sums up Netflix’s newest drama movie, “Do Revenge.” “Stranger Things'” Maya Hawke and “Riverdale’s” Camila Mendes tell a tale of friendship intertwined with conflict and mischief in the Netflix original that was released on Sept. 16, 2022.

The movie starts out with Drea (Camilla Mendes), the most popular girl at Rosehill Academy, discovering that her boyfriend Max (Austin Abrams), the kingpin of the school, leaked an intimate video of her that eventually spreads throughout the entire school. After being mocked and laughed at by her peers, she smacks him in front of a mob of people, which results in her getting put on behavioral academic probation. Drea then decides to get away from her hometown and the humiliation that lingered at Roseville by escaping to tennis camp for the summer. 

At summer camp she encounters Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a seemingly outspoken and friendly outcast. As Drea is leaving to return home her car breaks down; immediately prompting Elenor to offer Drea a ride back to Roseville. On their ride back, Eleanor confesses a dreadful situation from her past that has caused her to be rejected by her peers; a girl named Carissa spread a nasty rumor that Eleanor had forcefully kissed her at a summer camp years before, which had remained a glooming cloud over her reputation. 

As the summer comes to a close and Eleanor and Drea have to go back to school, they discover that the school year promises to be absolutely dreadful. This results in Eleanor and Drea making a pact to get revenge against those who had destroyed their reputations. The catch? To remove themselves as suspects, they vow to “do revenge” on each other’s ultimate rival. As the plot moves forward with them each getting each other’s revenge, the film is soon hit with an extreme twist over halfway through that is anything but predictable.

Every character in this movie has a lust for power and high status. It’s often difficult to decipher whether or not Eleanor and Drea are protagonists or antagonists in the movie because of their light switch that flickers between empathetic, lighthearted friendship and the divisive need that both of these individuals have for power and nothing else. 

Their friendship provides heartfelt moments where both girls are able to express themselves and their true emotions. Drea doesn’t feel obligated to feel fake around Eleanor and is not ashamed of the scholarship fund that keeps her at Rosehill. 

In an effort to further enhance the film, the writers attempted to incorporate dark humor. Was it really humorous to watch? Framing others for using cocaine and drugging the whole entire senior class to gain vengeance just seemed evil and created a hate towards the main characters. How was drugging people over petty reasons justifiable? 

A main focus of “Do Revenge” is showing the advantages rich men have in a patriarchal society through the character Max. Max faces no punishment whatsoever, whereas Drea is left with an abundance of problems.  “For girls our bodies, our choices are all policed by shame. Our weaknesses are their strengths. If they have a lot of sex, they’re crushing it. If we do it, we’re sluts. If they’re angry they’re powerful. But if we show any emotion, we’re hysterical,” she says. Immediately after the sex tape is released Drea is exiled from her popular group, while Max remains the school “sweetheart.” To boost his image after the incident he even creates the “Cis Hetero Men Championing Female-Identifying Student League,” whose alternative motives should be transparent to anyone in sight, but instead caused boys and girls to idolize and praise Max even more. 

To add more vibrancy to the movie, every object in sight is bold. The imagery in this movie is extravagant, elaborate and cradles the human eye into flashing patterns arched on every wall, rock and speck of dust, as well as the bold, electrifying fashion pieces showcased throughout the entire movie.

Overall, I would rate this movie a six out of 10. It was overwhelmingly dramatic and flashy, but weaved in a major unpredictable plot twist that is hard to find in any movie nowadays. The imagery made it easy to watch and engage in. Overall, it is difficult to gauge whether or not “Do Revenge” is worth the watch, its pros and cons seem to be evenly balanced.