For the Sake of Vicious (2021)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: For the Sake of Vicious (2021)
Genre: Action, Horror, Mystery
Length:  80 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Federgreen Entertainment, Latefox Pictures, Raven Banner Entertainment, Epic Pictures, Falcon Films, Wild Duck Productions
Directors: Gabriel Carrer, Reese Eveneshen
Writers: Gabriel Carrer, Reese Eveneshen
Actors: Adam Ewings, Boris Milinkovich, Colin Paradine, Dorian Allen, Erin Stuart, James Fler, Lora Burke, Nick Smyth, Nick Spartan, T.J. Kennedy
 
IMDb Blurb: An overworked nurse returns home to find a maniac hiding out with a bruised and beaten hostage. When an unexpected wave of violent intruders descends upon her home, it becomes a fight for survival.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
I just had a kneejerk reaction when I saw the RottenTomatoes critic score given to For the Sake of Vicious. What? Seriously – did they watch the same movie I did? It just goes to show you can never tell what makes the critics happy. I was sure that they were going to rip this movie a new one. The joke’s on me, I guess. 

I digress…
 
As you can probably already tell, I wasn’t the biggest fan of For the Sake of Vicious. There was very little character development and only flashes of a real story. What it did have in spades was absolutely brutal hyperviolence. There were too many questions and not enough answers. This wasn’t really a mystery – it was more of a conundrum, and a vexing one at that.

 
I’m also a little perplexed why a Halloween movie was released in late spring. It makes me wonder if they didn’t have faith in the film standing up to other genre films related to the season. Personally, I don’t care what time of year I partake Halloween-y things in. When you add it in with everything else, it just gives me pause to consider the thought process there.
 
After reading the trivia available on IMDb, I’m a bit sad about some of the elements that landed on the cutting room floor, so to speak. I think some of those concepts might have rounded out the production a little better and allowed at least some things to make more sense. Alas, it is what it is.

 
I’m not one to completely rip something to shreds without giving some counterpoint of positive feedback, however. For the Sake of Vicious did deliver some really brutal fight sequences. I believed what they were selling and the practical effects were good overall. Kudos to the principal cast for doing their own stunts.
 
Unfortunately, I require a little more story to go with my violence. For the Sake of Vicious isn’t the worst movie out there, but it is not one I would likely recommend.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 83%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 57%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 5.4/10

Trust the Dice: Parental Guidance Rating – R

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5
 
Movie Trailer: