Two decades after its release, David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence (2005) remains a haunting, razor-sharp exploration of identity, repression, and the brutal instincts simmering beneath the surface of everyday life. As Cronenberg’s first foray into more grounded, American-set material, the film marked a significant departure from his earlier body-horror work while retaining his trademark intensity and psychological depth.
Adapted from the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, A History of Violence centers on Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a quiet diner owner in small-town Indiana whose life is upended when a heroic act of self-defense draws national attention—and dangerous figures from a past he’s tried to forget. What follows is a gripping, tightly wound thriller that interrogates the myths of American violence, masculinity, and redemption with unnerving precision.
In a time when conversations around violence and identity feel more urgent than ever, A History of Violence resonates with renewed relevance. It’s a film that asks hard questions about who we really are, what we’re capable of, and whether the past can ever truly stay buried.
Join us as we commemorate 20 years of one of the 21st century’s most incisive and enduring thrillers—a film that finds horror not in the supernatural, but in the ordinary.
“Tom Stall is a loving husband, a devoted father—and maybe not who he says he is.”
96 minutes. Crime/Drama/Thriller. Rated R.
📅 Tuesday, May 27, 2025. 6 p.m.
📍 CTV Studios, 2455 Willakenzie Rd. #15 (behind Sheldon High School next to KRVM)
💰 FREE!!! PLUS FREE FOOD & DRINKS PROVIDED
📎 https://www.facebook.com/share/18s52iXzaZ/
