Vicious

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bryan Bertino directs. Tristan Nyby behind the camera. Tom Schraeder scores. Tad Dennis cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released last year.
• 2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
• 3Directed by Bryan Bertino, shot by Tristan Nyby. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Tom Schraeder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Tad Dennis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Dakota Fanning and Kathryn Hunter and Mary McCormack carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "Give it something you hate, something you need, something you love.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt31511689 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Tristan Nyby

Original score

Tom Schraeder

Editing

Tad Dennis

Production design

Jennifer Spence

Costume design

Jennifer Stroud

Sound

Chuck Michael

Runtime

98 min · 1h 38m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Vicious (2025) ↗

Also by

Bryan Bertino

• 
  The Strangers

  2008 · ★ 6.1
• 
  The Dark and the Wicked

  2020 · ★ 6.1
• 
  The Monster

  2016 · ★ 5.5
• 
  Mockingbird

  2014 · ★ 4.7

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  'A Vicious Look' Featurette

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• patient12025-10-11
  ★ 7/10

  Starts almost immediately with the creepiness, and talk about a serious moment for our main character. Uneasy words have been spoken between our characters, and now it appears to be that the threats have some validity to them. This is sufficiently creepy, and I love this film barely 30 minutes in so far. The cruelty and mind games are plenty in this film, with painful memories once hidden being brought into the light once again. The emotional brutality of this film is matched by physical brutality. The film has made itself my new Dakota Fanning project.

  Read full review ↓
• Dean2026-06-07
  ★ 4/10

  Vicious starts with a fantastic, tense horror hook. Dakota Fanning delivers a committed performance as Polly, a woman forced to spend a night fulfilling a series of cryptic, sinister demands from a mysterious wooden box. Unfortunately, the film completely loses its footing in the second half. It becomes confusing and has even more confusing ending.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• AT

  Atlas Independent

  US

• 

  Paramount Pictures

  US

Key crew

• Executive ProducerMelinda Whitaker
• ProducerRichard Suckle
• Co-ProducerCaitlin Delaney
• Executive ProducerShane Boucher
• CastingNicole Hilliard-Forde
• Production DesignJennifer Spence
• Set DecorationMary Kirkland
• Costume DesignJennifer Stroud
• First Assistant DirectorDaniela Barbosa
• Special Effects CoordinatorBen Belanger
• Foley ArtistBiko Gogaladze
• EditorTad Dennis
• Supervising Sound EditorChuck Michael
• Sound DesignerChuck Michael
• Music SupervisorGabe Hilfer

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• bewildered

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2025-09-19R· Fantastic Fest
• Digital2025-10-10R· Paramount+ / VOD

Also known as

International titles

• ЗловещийRU