Some films try to unsettle and challenge audiences with psychological tension and emotional depth. Vicious, unfortunately, does neither. Marketed as a psychological thriller, it ends up as an incoherent, overwrought exercise in nonsense — a film that confuses moodiness for meaning and atmosphere for actual storytelling.
The story follows Polly (Dakota Fanning), who receives a mysterious box from an unexpected late-night visitor (Kathryn Hunter). With it comes an oddly specific instruction: three objects must be placed inside — one representing need, one representing hate, and one representing love. What begins as a ritual that hints at deeper symbolism quickly spirals into a muddled nightmare, as Polly becomes trapped in a distorted world where memory falters and reality loses its footing. Forced to confront an undefined darkness both around and within her, she stumbles through a series of supposedly profound choices that never lead to anything coherent or compelling.
Despite the film’s attempts at psychological complexity, the execution remains painfully shallow. The premise — already stretching credibility — falls apart under poorly written dialogue and predictable, repetitive scenes. Fanning, once a reliable and magnetic presence, delivers a performance that feels flat and detached. Moments meant to be emotionally charged come off as hollow, with her inability to evoke genuine emotion or convincingly produce tears highlighting the film’s larger failures.
Vicious is a mess thematically. Signs of grief, guilt, and identity flicker on the edges of the story but are never examined with real focus or purpose. Instead, the film relies on hollow symbolism and overdone visuals that seem deep but serve no story purpose. The result is a project that tries for psychological depth but ends up being either pretentious or pointless.
By the time the credits roll, Vicious reveals itself as a wasted opportunity — a thriller without thrill, a character study lacking memorable characters. Whatever message it aims to convey is drowned out by its own arrogance, resulting in a film that fails on nearly every level.