Whatever you think this movie is about — you’re probably wrong.
Where would the teen movie genre be without the makeover montage? I mean, when it comes to on-screen high school hierarchies, it’s the oldest trick in the book. We’re all familiar with the formula: a reluctant, unfashionable new girl undergoes a complete transformation in the image of the queen bee character. But in Netflix’s Do Revenge, this trope — and all its problematic associations — is explored in a whole new way.
Filled with plenty of pettiness, campy costumes and suspenseful plot twists, Do Revenge turns the classic teen rom-com on its head. The story is set at a pretentious private school and follows the unlikely friendship between It Girl character Drea (Camila Mendes) and awkward new girl Eleanor (Maya Hawke). Like any healthy relationship, their bond is built on the quest for vengeance. Spoilers ahead.
In the film, Drea is seeking revenge on her ex-boyfriend. Eleanor, on the other hand, wants to take down Carissa, a former classmate who outed her and spread rumours that she was a predatory lesbian. To make this plan work, Drea suggests it’s time to give unassertive Eleanor a daring new look.
But the thing is, Eleanor’s not the happenstance newcomer she appears to be. Sure, when we meet her, she fits the mould of the mousy, unpopular kid. Sporting an oversized wardrobe, darker colours and a hat that reads, “I hate it here,” she stands out against a sea of preppy pastels. She even fights the idea of getting a makeover (classic!), saying “it feels so problematic,” to which Drea responds, “It is, but it’s fun!”
This exchange sets the stage for the film’s twist on the transformation trope, orchestrated by costume designer Alana Morshead. Unlike the teen movie makeovers of yore, Eleanor doesn’t adopt a Type-A popular-girl image. Where Drea’s wardrobe is ’90s-inspired, colour-coordinated and form-fitting, Eleanor’s new style is simply an…
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