'The Dark and the Wicked' Promised a New Horror Auteur, This 31% RT Flop Breaks That Promise

Expectations were high for the new horror film Vicious, starring Dakota Fanning and directed by Bryan Bertino, the creator of the cult classic The Strangers.

However, it failed to please viewers and critics alike, becoming one of the year's biggest disappointments.

What Is 'Vicious' About?

Polly (Dakota Fanning) is experiencing a personal crisis when she lets an elderly stranger into her home on Christmas Eve while struggling to find her son. This seemingly harmless act turns into a nightmare.

The visitor leaves Polly a black box with one terrifying condition: to avoid a painful death, she must put three items inside – one she hates, one she loves, and one she needs.

From that moment on, Polly's life becomes a living hell, filled with ghosts of her past.

'Vicious' Was Supposed to Start a Franchise

The project was initially conceived as a potential hit that could spawn a new horror franchise under Paramount. However, after its premiere at Fantastic Fest, the studio lost interest in the film, and it was sold to a streaming service.

The reason for this change of plans lies in the movie itself – despite its intriguing premise, Vicious failed to realize its potential.

'Vicious' Could Become a Worthy, Intriguing Psychological Horror

Vicious was marketed as a psychological horror about trauma. Bertino attempted to combine motifs from his previous works: the domestic horror of The Strangers and the metaphor of mental anguish from The Dark and the Wicked.

The plot revolves around the main character's painful memories of her father's death and her love for her niece. These memories and love are intended to become vulnerabilities for otherworldly forces.

However, these elements never came together to form a coherent, psychologically credible work.

'Vicious' Is a Disjointed Project Full of Tasteless Jump Scares and Plot Holes

The main flaw of Vicious is its complete lack of coherence. Rather than delving deeply into Polly's psyche, Bertino fills the runtime with chaotic and pointless jump scares, such as sudden corpses in closets and eerie figures in the background.

The movie lacks internal logic. In one scene, Polly is haunted by scarred demons; in another, she receives a call from her deceased father; and in a third, her niece writhes in convulsions like the girl in The Exorcist.

Vicious resembles a Frankenstein monster, cobbled together from various horror tropes that don't mesh well. By the end, the number of plot inconsistencies only increases, leaving viewers completely puzzled.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Vicious'?

• Vicious has 47% from critics and 31% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 4.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, Vicious is scored 2.4/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Vicious'?

Vicious is available to stream on Paramount+.