Sundance 2024 Review: Veni Vidi Vici – “a very dark social satire.”

The Maynards literally hunt and kill those who threaten their privilege lifestyle without impunity.

A cyclist participating in a road race gets killed by a sniper who then takes the speeder and decides to enter into the competition himself embodying the opening quote taken from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead which is, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”  The title of the movie itself is taken from the Latin phrase made famous by Julius Caesar which literally means, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”  The sniper threatening the community are the members of the tightly-knit Maynard family which embarks on killing spree to protect their social status and business empire.

There is no doubt that this story is a very dark social satire given the heightened reality of the imagery that at times feels like an abstract painting.  The idea that the murderous activities of the Maynards would not go unnoticed is treated as the means to emphasized the nihilistic sentiments expressed to Jack Gittes by his partner Lawrence Walsh in a crime noir classic, “Forget it, Jake.  It’s Chinatown.”  Filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann embrace their premise about the societal impact of those in power not being held accountable for their actions as whole-heartedly as the amoral protagonists related in name and sociopathic nature.

This is an ugly tale unfolding in broad daylight which gives a faerie tale aesthetic to the proceedings as well as emphasizes the blatantness of the actions being depicted.  How much you like or dislike what Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann have been able to achieve depends on how much you are willing to buy into the absurd over-the-top presentation which is so in your face that it becomes numbing rather than uncomfortably funny.  The Maynards are despicable human beings lacking any element of charm but oozing with smugness.  Not sure if this is enough of a call action for those suffering from apathy or simply confirming the statement made famous by the Borgs in Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Resistance is futile.”  One cannot doubt the craftsmanship involved in making the long development project a cinematic reality but it does feel like the story gets lost in its own sense of cleverness much like Maynards.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival takes place January 19–29, 2023, in person and online, and for more information visit sundance.org.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.