Review: Vincent N Roxxy (2016)

Directed by: Gary Michael Schultz | 110 minutes | crime, drama, thriller | Actors: Emile Hirsch, Zoë Kravitz, Zoey Deutsch, Emory Cohen, Scott Mescudi, Beau Knapp, Jason Mitchell, Jeff Gum, Kim Collins, Joey Bicicchi, Dominic “Taz” Alexander, Jared Bankens

When the tough / fragile Roxxy (Zoë Kravitz) is beaten up on the street, good man Vincent (Emile Hirsch) steps into the breach for her. It is, as they say, the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Roxxy tells Vincent that her brother has been murdered by a local gangster boss and that she is the next target. Vincent then offers her a hiding place on his farm. Not that the countryside is quieter than the city. Vincent lives in redneck country, where people drink moonshine, smoke meth and fight each other out of boredom. Vincent also lives with his brother JC (Emory Cohen), an incorrigible explorer.

With the arrival of Roxxy, everything seems to be heading in the right direction. Roxxy and Vincent develop a passionate relationship and Vincent and JC start a car workshop that actually runs well. Then the inevitable happens. The gangster boss manages to track down Roxxy and demands a bag with money back that Roxxy says he knows nothing about. Of course, “Suga” doesn’t believe that. Violence erupts; a stone in a pond with devastating ripples.

“Vincent N Roxxy” begins as a film about two people who grow together in difficult circumstances. The events are predictable, but entertaining enough to hold attention, and Kravitz and Hirsch have a connection. Cohen also convinces with his bumpkin accent. So far, so average. Then something strange happens. You discover that you have completely misjudged the characters. Vincent in particular becomes a lot more interesting. And there are more and more sharp edges to the story, which works towards a daring, nasty denouement.

The American press compared “Vincent N Roxxy” to Winding Refn’s revenge thriller “Drive”. In terms of tone, structure and gore there is a case for that, although “Drive” is significantly smarter and made with more finesse. Let’s just say that in the countryside, chopping is done more with the blunt ax. Yet “Vincent N Roxxy” is not all brutal. The film shows how a couple succumbs to choices they made before they really knew each other. And that is moving, because Vincent and Roxxy are cute together.