Vindicta is a bit of an obscure horror/slasher film on <checks notes> Paramount+. It seems like it’d be a terrible direct-to-streaming movie and, indeed, it has its budgetary and script limitations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it turned out.

The film stars Elena Kampouris as an EMT trainee during a multi-day city riot. But there’s a serial killer on the loose in this burning city who wears a mask of Michelangelo’s David.

No two ways about it, this film had a pretty low budget. Its city streets are filmed poorly on obvious backlots and its rioters are pretty low energy for the job. But it also has some crisp aerial shots and seems to be partially filmed in a real firehouse with actual emergency vehicles.

I don’t know star Elena Kampouris (who gets 6th billing) but she’s a bad ass in this flick. She starts out tough but unsure… her character is doubted by her captain (Sean Astin!) but encouraged by her pops (Jeremy Piven?!). She’s scared but puts on a brave face, pushing into danger as needed. Maybe they turn the epic showdown stances and slow-mo to eleven at the end, but I’ll allow it.

The killer borrows a bit from V for Vendetta, perhaps shamelessly so. But his mask of David is a little unnerving, he leaves Latin phrases at his crime scenes, and he sometimes uses Roman weapons and torture devices for his gnarly kills. He’s not a great addition to the masked slasher canon, but he’s pretty good.

I have a feeling I wasn’t supposed to enjoy this film. Certainly it has its limitations but I think it makes up for them with strong characters and cool sequences. Elena Kampouris makes for a pretty great hero (I’d hesitate to even call her a Final Girl). This was a pretty good flick.

Score: 77