Reviewed by Jesse Miller
MoreHorror.com
Avenged (2013) Review
Director: Michael S. Ojeda
Writers: Michael S. Ojeda, Deon van Rooyen (additional dialogue)
Stars: Amanda Adrienne, Tom Ardavany, Ronnie Gene Blevins
This is how it is: An attractive and deaf woman by the name of Zoe (Amanda Adrienne) is on a road trip to her boyfriend when she comes across a bunch of local yokels tormenting some Native Americans. Zoe does the valiant thing in trying to save their lives and in turn, gets captured and taken back to the local’s shack where she is repeatedly brutalized.
Yeah, it certainly sounds like your typical revenge horror-thriller, only it isn’t: AVENGED takes a strange turn when our heroine is brutally killed, only to be brought back to life a few days later (expertly edited here to show the passage of time, by the way) by a local witch-doctor. The catch? She’s possessed by a centuries old Apache warrior with a thirst for blood – and oh boy, is there lots of that.
AVENGED then goes a high speed chase as the possessed Zoe tracks down those who wronged her, delivering on the gore while doing something a little different with most revenge affairs: it’s got a lovely messy heart that’s betting away there as Zoe’s boyfriend tries to piece together the mystery of her disappearance.
The film has a fabulous production here – Writer/Director Michael S. Ojeda tells a tight thrilling story, while showcasing his attention for detail and ability to mount tension and get fabulous performances out of his cast.
Speaking of the cast, each player is in top form here, from the despicable thugs to the portrayal of Zoe and her boyfriend, two lovers torn apart by this horrific tragedy. These actors put everything into their scenes, so much so that you want something good to come of it and it never really does.
And then there is the gore – outrageous, effective and gag-worthy. If anything, the gore makes this revenge film all the more entertaining because of how it’s staged and edited rather effectively. We want these suckers to get what is coming to them and that end result is a stomach churning display of violence – brutal and effective.
AVENGED does what it says on the tin and it does it superbly. It’s got such a slick production and talented cast that the whole experience was a pure blast. It’s an engrossing thriller that twists and turns and better yet, it’s got a heart that makes the journey worthwhile.
SOURCE: More Horror – Read entire story here.