Revenge for Jolly!

Revenge for Jolly!

Year: 2012

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Chadd Harbold

ComedyDrama

Dog’s best friend, man’s worst enemy. Harry is having a terrible day, returning home from an all-night drinking binge with his cousin Cecil to find his beloved dog, Jolly, has been murdered. Jolly was Harry’s one true love and a source of light in his otherwise solitary life. Consumed by grief and rage, Harry vows to find Jolly’s killer, embarking on a frenzied and alcohol-fueled chase. He and Cecil leave a bloody path of destruction as they seek revenge.

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Revenge for Jolly! (2012) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Revenge for Jolly! (2012), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Brian Petsos plays Harry, a restless freelancer who spends a lot of time with his beloved female pup Jolly and carves out his days under the weight of a sizeable debt owed to a threatening group. Facing the looming pressure to disappear, he plans to head out of town to dodge the obligation. But when he returns home, he discovers that Jolly has been killed. Grief and a simmering, blistering rage push him to recruit his close cousin Cecil, Oscar Isaac to help track down the killer, dragging both men into a ruthlessly escalating cycle of violence.

At a dim bar, the two press a rude bartender, Thomas, for a lead that points toward Bachmeier, a regular visitor who had once supplied Harry with his address. The conversation turns ugly quickly, and Harry’s fury erupts in a moment of reckless violence as he shoots Thomas dead. Elijah Wood plays Thomas, a figure who becomes only the first domino in a chain of bloody confrontations.

Their pursuit then shifts to Tina, a known sex worker who was last seen in the company of Bachmeier. Gillian Jacobs plays Tina, a woman who becomes part of the thread they pull. When Tina refuses Cecil’s attempt to pay for information, she shoots Cecil in the hand, yet the encounter spirals further as Tina and her ally Vicki meet their end at the hands of Harry, whose thirst for vengeance grows almost uncontainable. Amy Seimetz plays Vicki, a figure who signifies the tangled web they’re unraveling.

Their next stop is a law firm where they cut a brutal swath through three unscrupulous lawyers—Bobby, Eichelberger and Danny—who have been withholding information. The confrontation is swift and merciless: Bobby Moynihan plays Bobby, David Rasche plays Eichelberger, and Adam Brody plays Danny. The receptionist, portrayed by Jayne Atkinson, eventually informs them that Bachmeier is at a wedding reception, setting the stage for a dramatic intrusion.

With a sense of inevitability, Harry and Cecil crash the wedding reception, taking guests hostage as they search for Bachmeier. The family at the center of the ordeal is revealed to be deeply dysfunctional, a fact underscored when Angela, Kristen Wiig who is Bachmeier’s sister, speaks to the turmoil within the clan. The night escalates into a brutal assault on the attendees, and Angela herself becomes a target as her husband Gary, played by Garret Dillahunt, is shot during the chaos. A man outside eventually provides Bachmeier’s address, intensifying the pursuit and sealing the sense that no one and nothing is truly safe.

As the tension peaks, the film loops back to the opening moment. Harry pulls up to the same house, leaving Cecil in the car while he approaches an armed Bachmeier at the front door. Bachmeier welcomes him inside as if nothing has happened, and the scene closes with two gunshots fired inside the house, the outcome visible only from a distance on the exterior. The narrative folds back upon itself, underscoring a meditation on grievance, retaliation, and the inescapable pull of vengeance that haunts Harry and Cecil from start to finish.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:35

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies with grief-fuelled revenge like Revenge for Jolly!

Stories where profound loss ignites a chaotic and violent path of vengeance.If you liked the rage-filled quest for retribution in Revenge for Jolly!, you'll find similar stories here. This thread gathers movies where a profound loss triggers a violent, chaotic, and morally ambiguous revenge spree. These films share a heavy emotional weight, dark tone, and a fast-paced descent into brutality.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a pivotal, devastating event that provokes the protagonist. The story is then driven forward by a single-minded, often reckless, pursuit of vengeance. The journey is linear but marked by escalating violence and moral decay, as the initial goal becomes obscured by the bloody means used to achieve it.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here because they share a core premise: a character's violent actions are directly fueled by an overwhelming sense of grief. They create a similar viewer experience of witnessing a tragic event spiral into an unstoppable force of destruction, characterized by high intensity, a dark tone, and a heavy emotional core.

Movies about moral collapse and chaos like Revenge for Jolly!

Character-driven journeys into violence that erode sanity and morality.Looking for more movies like Revenge for Jolly! that explore a rapid descent into moral decay? This collection features films with characters who spiral into violence and chaos, often fueled by desperation. Expect fast-paced, dark stories with an ambiguous ending and a heavy, bleak atmosphere.

chaoticunhingedviolentalcohol-soakedfranticbleakmoral decaydesperate

Narrative Summary

These narratives follow characters who are pushed to their limits, causing their grasp on sanity and morality to slip. The plot is less about a clean goal and more about the chaotic process of their downfall. The structure is often cyclical or ends ambiguously, emphasizing the inescapable or pointless nature of the violence.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their portrayal of a character's psychological and moral unraveling. They share a specific vibe: a fast-paced, chaotic, and alcohol or desperation-fueled atmosphere where violence begets more violence. The viewer experiences a sense of inevitable collapse and bleak futility.

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Revenge for Jolly! Timeline

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Revenge for Jolly! Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Revenge for Jolly!

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Revenge for Jolly!

Revenge for Jolly! Spoiler-Free Summary

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Revenge for Jolly! Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Revenge for Jolly!

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