2K Replay: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

 by Adam Riske

Nominated for “The Holy Shit Jump From Your Seat” award at the Scream Awards. It lost to Hostel.

• Best Scene/Moment: I like all the scenes in the diner (including the one where Viggo Mortensen springs into action against violent robbers). I would totally go to that place every Saturday morning. What can I say, I just love diners.

• Best Song: There aren’t many songs in the movie, so I’ll pick “Club Hoppin” by Blinky Blink which isn’t great, but I had to pick something.

• Best Merch: “A History of Violence Movie Prop Pens” for $49.99. You know, the iconic…pens…from A History of Violence. You’ll never watch the movie the same way again. You’ll be too busy looking at Viggo Mortensen’s hands to see when he’s writing with your new pens!

• Director Grade: A History of Violence was directed by David Cronenberg.
Great Movies: The Dead Zone, The Fly (1986), Dead Ringers
Good Movies: Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, Crash (1996), Existenz, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method

OK Movies: Naked Lunch, Crimes of the Future (2022)
Bad Movies: Maps to the Stars
Unseen By Me: Stereo, Crimes of the Future (1970), Shivers, Fast Company, M. Butterfly, Spider, Cosmopolis, The Shrouds
Overall Grade: A

• Double It with This 2005 Movie: Domino

• Year 2005 Movies to Trailer Before Them: The Constant Gardener, The Interpreter, Munich

• Never Talk to Strangers or A History of Violence? A History of Violence

• Mall Movie? Borderline yes. It’s prestige-ish but also pretty pulpy. It would play just fine at the mall.

• Only in 2005: Ed Harris acting erratic and scaring everyone at a film festival press conference promoting the movie. I think he was trying to show an example of violence being sudden, disturbing, and uncomfortable, but it just came across like he was a nut.

• Scene Stealer (tie): Ed Harris and William Hurt.

• I Miss: William Hurt’s odd line deliveries in movies.

• I Don’t Miss: Ashton Holmes, who plays Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello’s son in the movie. Nothing against the actor personally, but I don’t love his performance in this.

• 2005 Crush: Maria Bello.

• 2025 Crush: Maria Bello.

• What I Thought in 2005: I thought A History of Violence was great. It was accessible and entertaining but also complex and featured many excellent performances from the likes of Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt.

• What I Think in 2025: I still like the movie a lot but maybe slightly less than I did in 2005. What I said above still holds true, but this time I was less of a fan of one important supporting performance and sections of the dialogue. Those are nitpicks, though; this is still a really good movie and one of the best works (maybe the best) of David Cronenberg from this century.