M.F.A. [2017]

January 28, 2025

I’ve always been a fan of revenge movies, no secret there, which is why I decided to check out Master of Fine Arts. M.F.A. is an underrated revenge thriller that follows a sexual assault victim as she takes justice into her own hands. Frustrated by the lack of support from authorities and the frequent lack of consequences for perpetrators on college campuses, she decides to act. The story highlights the grim reality that while assailants often go unpunished, the victims are left to endure lifelong scars. A cruel twist of fate someone decides to untwist. Set against the backdrop of a college campus, M.F.A. delivers a raw and compelling narrative that explores these harsh truths.

Although M.F.A. is an indie movie, its atmosphere, storytelling, and overall execution feel far more grounded and effective than similar releases. I mention this because, like many others, I’m not always a fan of indie films. And yet, we will get those innovative and eclectic scenes nonetheless, which is awesome. Moreover, they tie so nicely and effortlessly with the main story that you will be hooked on from the first minute. HOOKED ON! Today we’re heading to Gas Town! Is this an obscure reference? Let me know down in the comments section. Although it fits perfectly with what we’re talking about.

Secondly, one of the cast members is none other than Clifton Collins Jr. And you know the old Subversive Rabbit rule: if CCJ is in the cast, the movie is definitely worth watching. The star of the show, however, is Francesca Eastwood, who delivers a stellar performance as Noelle, a shy girl who falls for the wrong man. If her last name rings a bell, yes, she’s Clint’s daughter—and, dare I say, a much better actor than her brother Scott. Peter Vack perfectly channels his inner douchebag as Luke, the arrogant jerk who always gets the girl. Finally, Leah McKendrick, who also wrote the script, shines as Skye, Noelle’s supportive roommate.

All of them help to make this college campus come to life with authoritative authenticity. There will also be a couple of quite difficult scenes. Scenes that were hard to watch but necessary and I applaud the director’s decision not to cut away from the ugly stuff. Especially since it is so important for the rest of the plot. The quality of the script and storytelling remains consistently high throughout, culminating in an ending that is both poignant and thought-provoking. It’s a shame Natalia Leite has only directed television shows since this film. Here’s hoping she returns to feature films soon.

When it comes to graphic violence, there won’t be a lot of it. This is not Swarm or something like that. At this point, I would like to clarify that sexual assault means rape, it means fucking rape. There are a lot of bad people in this world but somehow rapists, due to systemic issues in our society, have been getting away with it for too long. Perhaps this is why the revenge or not even revenge but justice feels so satisfying and empowering. It almost makes you forget that old saying violence begets violence.

Remember, M.F.A. was released in 2017 before the MeToo movement. Around this same time, MTV released Sweet/Vicious, a television show that’s quite similar to M.F.A.. It follows two young college students as they become vigilantes. It’s so satisfying to watch these motherfucking animals get what they deserve. It feels a bit superfluous to say that this is not a movie against all men. And that all men are not rapists. I’ve recently talked about this issue with the general population while discussing Women of the Hour.