Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Ava’ Mixes Assassinations with Family Drama

REVIEW: ‘Ava’ Mixes Assassinations with Family Drama

Charles HartfordBy Charles Hartford12/12/20204 Mins ReadUpdated:12/24/2023
Ava mixes Assassinations with Family Drama - But Why Tho?
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Ava is an action drama movie produced by Voltage Pictures starring Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Common, and Colin Farrell. Ava has a checkered past. Eight years ago she was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. When the situation got out of control, she fled to the army where she proved highly capable and highly unstable. After getting out, she was recruited by a man named Duke to become an international assassin. While Ava struggles with the morality of her job, she’s one of the best at it. That is, until things go wrong.

We are introduced to Ava (Chastain) during one of her assignments. While she is clearly good at what she does, she also clearly has conflicts with what it is she does. She wants to believe her target has done something to bring her to their door. That their death is justice and not just a murder. This sense of conflict in Ava is a key piece of her character. As the viewer sees more and more of her, they find that virtually every aspect of her life exists in conflict. And there is only so long a person can stand being so divided.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Things come to a head for Ava when a hit in Saudi Arabia goes wrong. Fearing she is about to break under the pressure, her mentor and handler Duke (Malkovich) suggests she take some time off to clear her head, lest she falls into old habits. She agrees and decides to head to Boston. This is the city she is originally from. And while Duke has concerns about her potentially reopening old wounds, he is left with little choice but to consent to her plans.

Upon returning to Boston, Ava soon reconnects with her estranged family. Needless to say, it doesn’t go smoothly. Having basically ghosted them for eight years, there is a lot of tension and bad blood that needs sorting. And whatever axes she might want to bury need burying quick. Duke’s boss Simon (Farrell) doesn’t share Duke’s faith in her stability. Like all businessmen looking at a potential loss, he’s looking to minimize her damage to his company.

When I first began watching this movie, I expected a fairly predictable plotline. Woman made some huge mistakes, hurt her family, now comes back to make amends and try not to get them mixed up in her current life. And while these themes do exist, the situation is more nuanced than Ava simply being the troubled woman who made horrible life decisions she needs to make good with. As the movie progresses through its narrative, the viewer comes to realize the title character isn’t the only one with emotional blood on her hands. This was an extremely pleasant surprise.

By spreading the guilt for the past between several people, Ava mange’s to avoid the tired trope of using drug addiction like a villainous trait. Does Ava screw up and hurt people during her fight with addiction? Absolutely. Is every disaster and problem that touches her family directly caused by it? Happily not. Even when she is screwing up, Ava is still permitted to be the victim. This allows her to be human. Something that many movies seem to forget people struggling with addictions are.

Aside from the nuance that this story brings to its family drama, the rest of its plot is solid, if not exceptional. The family meetings are always played with that cool tension that only long-standing family issues can bring with them. This solid level of performance also extends to the acting which fills the scenes. While none of the actors ever really break out with the characters, no one really stumbles either. Instead, they provide convincing enough portrayals of their characters, though no one ever reaches the level of outstanding.

While on the other side of the coin, the action moments are delivered with a similar level of competency. I enjoyed each sequence as it played out, and there were a few moments that made me wince, but none of them will stand out permanently in the blur of countless action sequences I’ve watched.

At the end of the day, Ava provides an enjoyable and often nuanced story of family drama and international assassins. If you are looking for an easy to watch action flick, that also provides some feeling, this certainly isn’t a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

Ava is streaming now on Netflix.

Ava
  • 7.5/10
    Rating - 7.5/10
7.5/10

TL;DR

At the end of the day, Ava provides an enjoyable and often nuanced story of family drama and international assassins. If you are looking for an easy to watch action flick, that also provides some feeling, this certainly isn’t a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘The Red Mother,’ Issue #11
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Canvas’ is Eight Minutes of Magic
Charles Hartford
  • X (Twitter)

Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

Related Posts

Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa in The Map That Leads to You
8.0

REVIEW: ‘The Map That Leads To You’ Is YA Romance Done Right

08/19/2025
Lurker promotional still from MUBI

REVIEW: ‘Lurker’ Probes The Intoxication Of Fame

08/19/2025
The Knife (2025) promotional still
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Knife’ Is Simple And Too Much At The Same Time

08/17/2025
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

08/16/2025
Fixed promotional key art from Netflix Animation
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Fixed’ Is Top-Notch Animation But Bottom Of The Barrel Comedy

08/15/2025
Denzel Washington Highest 2 Lowest
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Has A Ton Of Fun Missing It’s Own Points

08/15/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here