Mayhem! came out on demand a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to check it out. I didn’t expect all that much from this film, but I left very pleasantly surprised.

The flick features a pretty average plot: 1. guy does something bad in his past 2. it comes back to haunt him years later 3. he must track down the enemies and get revenge. There’s really nothing extra here.

Mayhem! starts off with a bang prior to the title card, only to slow things down for the next act of the film. This was necessary, as it gives us a more personal look into the main character, Sam, and his family. This allowed me to care much more about all of the action-packed craziness that ensues a lot more. The first hour or so takes its time setting everything up, only to explode into a fury of violent fight scenes in the last act.

While it does sort of devolve into the typical “Taken” formula in the second half, the action really saves this movie. The gore is ramped all the way up to 10 in the final 20 minutes, with one hallway/elevator sequence standing out in particular. These fight scenes all feature some very impressive camerawork, making the audience feel right in the middle of the action.

Outside of the familiar plot, the only other issue I had is that the villain isn’t the most intimidating. If they would’ve gotten someone who was more physically menacing it could’ve been more effective.

In the end, the gore, fight sequences and a solid twist at the end give Mayhem! a little more flare than other average movies with the typical “Taken” plot. Nassim Lyes did a great job in the lead role, and I had a fun time with this one. I’d recommend giving it a shot!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5