No matter how original a film is, at some point the concept behind it has probably been tried out in some way.
Whether it be the Lion King basically being feline Hamlet, or Star Wars being The Hidden Fortress meets Flash Gordon, films have always drawn from others.
It is no criticism on John Wick then to say that Netflix’s number one film in the UK right now has been dubbed ‘the original John Wick’.
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It has undeniable similarities, a rugged main star who is most well-known for an iconic franchise, graphic violence, gangsters, and once again. Really. Graphic. Violence.
The film has been dubbed a 10/10 ‘masterpiece’ thriller by fans as it shot up the charts to be the top film on the streaming platform right now.
Directed by the legendary David Cronenberg, many consider it his best film.
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The film in question is A History of Violence, and it stars Lord of The Rings’ Viggo Mortensen, in addition to Ed Harris, Maria Bello, and William Hurt. Check out the trailer here:
Coming out in 2005, the R Rated film full of sex and violence focuses on Mortensen’s character Tom – a mild-mannered man who brings trouble to his small town after a heroic act.
Based on a graphic novel of the same name, the heroic act he performs – saving the customers of his small-town diner – is a brutal scene.
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The film has a whopping score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, and an average rating on IMDb of 7.4.
David Denby of the New Yorker said of the film: “Cronenberg's direction, mirroring the split in Tom, is alternately measured and frighteningly explosive, and, as always, he gives the movie a nasty underlay of sexual perversity.”
Jim Emerson, of RogerEbert.com, said: “The film, based on a graphic novel, has a crackling sense of visual tension.”
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Adam Smith of Empire gave the film 4/5, saying: “Cronenberg's best for a long time, broad and entertaining enough for those unacquainted with the director's work, but layered with the themes of infection and mutation that have defined his work.”
Thankfully this isn’t just an artsy film loved by critics leaving fans questioning what they just watched, A History of Violence has a 76% audience score with over 250,000 reviews, and a glowing set of IMDb reviews.
One 10/10 review on IMDb said: “This movie is an effing masterpiece. Every single scene is riveting and layered beyond belief.
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“Even when you've watched it multiple times, you still feel that intensity as if you don't know what's going to happen. THAT is a mark of brilliant filmmaking IMO. This is the only movie I've watched at least twice a year since its release.”
One reddit post called it the original John Wick, saying: “Before Nobody and before John Wick there was A History of Violence. And it was my favourite of the 3.”
About as high as praise can get if you ask me.
Topics: Crime, Netflix, Film, TV and Film
Michael Slavin