Peppermint: Vengeance,

Corruption, and Injustice for All

 by Sandra Olmsted

Although director Pierre Morel’s film, Peppermint, has its problems, it does tap into feelings that some audiences will contact with on a deeper level. Whether those audiences have experienced systemic injustice or are just tired of the female characters being one-dimensional wimps, Peppermint says loud and clear no one should think women don’t have power. Peppermint opens with a nearly idyllic life for the North family, not because they have money, but because they have love and possibilities and a future.

Even though Riley (Jennifer Garner) and Chris North (Jeff Hephner) struggle to make ends meet and have few friends, they have each other and their daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming). When a nasty, powerful woman throws a party to ruin Carly’s birthday party, the family goes to a theme park to celebrate. Unfortunately, Chris has contemplated, then declined, an offer to steal money from the drug cartel of Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba), who is extremely vengeful.

While Riley, Carly, and Chris enjoy time together, Garcia sends men to follow and punish Chris, just as he has the other men involved in the discussed — but never attempted — robbery. As Chris and Carly walk ahead slightly, the thugs pull up and open fire. Although far enough away to avoid being hit, Riley runs into the gunfire to reach her already dead husband and daughter. She wakes up in the hospital to Detective Stan Carmichael (John Gallagher Jr.) offering her condolences and promising to catch the killers.

Meanwhile, Detective Moises Beltran (John Ortiz) warns Carmichael that they both need to be careful because there are moles for Garcia inside the police force. Then, one of Garcia’s lawyers shows up at Riley’s home as she packs and offers her a lot of money and takes note of her prescriptions for anxiety and depression. After the trial goes south, the three killers she identified walk free, and Riley disappears. Five years later, close to the anniversary of the murders, she reappears, and she’s ready for revenge. While it took Charles Bronson five Death Wish movies for his vendetta, Riley has a much shorter timeline.

While it is not the subtle churning of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, it does speak to the miscarriages of justice that many experience, although rarely as often by white suburban families like the North’s. When Riley comes back and seeks revenge by targeting those she feels are corrupt and/or working for Garcia, she and her quest become a metaphor for women seeking power in a world where they often feel powerless. In Peppermint, that power comes from being tougher and smarter than the men and from playing by their rules better than they do.

Peppermint is exciting and has a few surprising twists just like the red and white strips on a candy cane, yet it is not a sweet movie. The murders and gore are pretty intense. The many violent rampage scenes are well choreographed and exciting although not the best ever done in the revenge genre. By making Riley’s motivation her grief over the loss of her child, director Morel makes her more sympathetic than many protagonists in revenge thrillers; however, while revenge may be best served cold, it is dangerous. Screenwriter Chad St. John makes it more palatable by showing that Riley has no other option to get justice for her family and community. Unfortunately, the bad guys are all Hispanic, which is unnecessary because the characters actions and dress would signal they are bad guys regardless of ethnicity. Maybe that casting choice was to appeal to another demographic.

Peppermint is worth a look even though it is not a memorable revenge thriller. Garner’s Riley North is compelling, and she could be back for a sequence from the way the film ends. An STX Entertainment release, Peppermint is rated R for strong violence and language throughout and runs a fast-paced 101 minutes. Peppermint, which wants to fire up the female audience with righteous indignation, is in theaters now.

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