Revenge is a drink best served cold, and one of the most entertaining tropes in media. However, have you ever seen a Heathers-type film that trades in subtext for actual lesbian content? Netflix’s Do Revenge is everything you could want from a sapphic revenge drama – all with Maya Hawke at the helm.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
So let’s set the scene. Drea (played by Camila Mendes) is the “it girl” at school (you know there had to be one) and she had everything going for her, except when her boyfriend releases a sex tape she sent him and ruins her reputation. Gross. Elenor (played by Maya Hawke) is a transfer student who runs into an old enemy Clarissa (Ava Capri) on her first day. Clarissa spread a rumor about Elenor at summer camp when they were kids, and Elenor has never recovered from it. That said, Elenor and Drea are the perfect cocktail to “do revenge” together as no one knows that they are friends.
You may be wondering, well, where does the lesbian energy come in? May we introduce you to the one, the only, Talia Ryder who plays Elenor’s true love interest, Gabbi.
Elenor’s revenge is directed toward Clarissa, who is very openly gay. However, the real good stuff is the tension between Elenor and Gabbi. The front for the revenge plot is that Elenor is interested in dating Gabbi’s older brother (who is the subject of Drea’s revenge) but it’s clear that Gabbi sees Elenor for who she is, and is definitely attracted to her. The dichotomy of Elenor masking interest in Gabbi’s brother but clearly seeing past all the social politics and truly falling for Gabbi creates a sexual tension that is palpable, even as a viewer. Plus, just look at how cute they are!
After the film dropped on Netflix, fans took to Twitter to share their excitement.
As Netflix continues to create more original content, it’s no surprise that Gen Z has taken over a lot of the new films. Although, the added element of Gen Z is what makes Do Revenge so alluring. Finally, we have a sapphic teenage revenge film that is actually written well and propels the actress’s careers while being inclusive in a new way. This contrasts its predominantly straight predecessors like Mean Girls and Heathers (classics, in their own right.) We love to see it! Most likely, this film will be the beginning of many lesbian revenge films and shows to come.
You can stream Do Revenge now on Netflix.
