Synopsis

Storyline:

Widow Ruth is seven months pregnant when, believing herself to be guided by her unborn baby, she embarks on a homicidal rampage, dispatching anyone who stands in her way.

User Reviews: Written by, directed by, and starring Alice Lowe (of Brit black comedy Sightseers), Prevenge follows heavily pregnant woman Ruth (Lowe, who was actually with child at the time) as she takes revenge on those responsible for the death of her partner, urged on in her killing spree by her unborn baby (who she can hear talking to her).

Clearly Ruth isn’t firing on all cylinders, which results in plenty of extremely dark humour, the sort we Brits do so well, but with the lady suffering from mental illness/severe depression as a result of her loss, the film is also incredibly poignant—funny but sad—Ruth not receiving the professional help she so desperately needs to deal with her grief.

In addition to Lowe’s accomplished direction, sharp writing and excellent central performance, Prevenge also benefits from several wonderfully drawn supporting characters, including Tom Davis’s misogynistic DJ Dan (who gets his balls cut off for being such a sleazebag!), a well-meaning but condescending midwife (Jo Hartley), and corporate bitch Ella (Kate Dickie), who interviews Ruth for a job that she has no intention of giving her.

How much you enjoy Prevenge will depend a lot on how warped your sense of humour is, but if you have seen Alice in Sightseers, use that as a yardstick: if you appreciated her witty, dead pan performance in that film, then you’ll probably have a good time with this one too.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.