[Film Review] Violence (2026)

Frightfest Glasgow has a plethora of amazing films showcasing in this year's edition. There’s a little something for everyone, with a fantastic mix of thrillers, documentaries, and horror. Kicking off the final day, we have Violence, a blood-soaked thriller set in an alternate 1980’s that will shake away any remnant of hangover from the night before and wake up the audience.

Directed by Connor Marsden and written by Devin Myler, William Woods, and Marsden, Violence follows anti-hero and ex-drug addict Henry Violence (Rohan Campbell), who is on a mission to save his ex-lover Charlotte (Sarah Grey) from a world of addiction. As he does, he gets thrown into a violent gang who run the town with an overlord known as Jimmy Jazz (Joris Jarsky). From the start, Violence lives up to its title; the blood-soaked opening sets a path for what is to come and doesn’t shy away from showing the audience all the gory details. As well as an excellent level of violence, it also showcases some fantastic and almost beautiful cinematography and lighting, perfectly mirroring the characters' emotions and backgrounds with deep reds and electric blues. For a debut feature, this is something to really marvel at. It captures the feel of an 80’s thriller movie without feeling too cheesy or on the nose.

The script, however, is an example of ‘too many cooks’; you can tell this has had three writers working on it, feeling messy and sometimes forced. Saying that, however, the actors do a tremendous job with what they are given, in particular, the lead himself, Campbell, who throws himself into the pit of the story. You cannot help but root for him to succeed and finally, fully escape the horrors of his past. The rest of the performances are just as strong, each one taking on their character role and just seem to be having fun with them, exploring their wants and desires even when it is simply just getting the next hit from the street drug called ‘Red’.

As far as a feature debut goes, this is one of the better ones. It demonstrates a strong and clear passion for the cheesy 80’s “man saves his ex-lover” films we know all too well, but taking enough of a personal spin on it to not allow it to be another copy and paste story. Alongside this, it showcases fantastic special effects and a bold and electric use of cinematography, editing, and lighting. It’s not necessarily a film that will have you thinking about for days afterwards or even really discussing with friends, but it is certainly one you can get lost in and forget about your day.

Violence had its international premiere at FrightFest Glasgow on Saturday, March 7th.

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