Peppermint (2018 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Peppermint

| image = Peppermint (film poster).png

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| alt = A woman standing against wall, painted there are red wings, but with bullets instead of feathers

| director = Pierre Morel

| producer = {{plainlist|

Gary Lucchesi
Tom Rosenberg
Richard S. Wright

}}

| writer = Chad St. John

| starring = {{Plain list |

}}

| music = Simon Franglen

| cinematography = David Lanzenberg

| editing = Frédéric Thoraval

| studio = {{Plainlist|

}}

| distributor = STXfilms

| released = {{Film date|2018|9|7}}

| runtime = 101 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $22.8–25{{nbsp}}million

| gross = $53.9{{nbsp}}million

}}

Peppermint is a 2018 American vigilante action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel and stars Jennifer Garner, alongside John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba, and Tyson Ritter. In the film, a woman becomes a vigilante in a quest for vengeance against the drug cartel responsible for the death of her daughter and husband.

Peppermint was released in the United States on September 7, 2018, to negative reviews from critics and the film grossed $53 million worldwide.

Plot

A woman is engaged in a brutal fight with a man in a car and finally dispatches him with a shot to the head.

Five years earlier, the woman, Riley North, is working as a banker struggling to make ends meet. Her husband Chris owns a failing mechanic shop. They have a ten-year-old daughter, Carly. Chris's friend tries to talk him into robbing Diego Garcia, a powerful drug lord. Chris turns him down, but not before Garcia has already discovered his involvement and ordered his men to make an example of him. Riley and Chris take Carly out for pizza and to a carnival for her birthday. As the family walks to the car, Diego's men gun down Carly and Chris in a drive-by shooting. Riley is wounded but survives.

Despite her injuries, Riley is able to positively identify the shooters. The detectives handling the case are hesitant to pursue charges against the three, as they are members of Garcia's drug cartel, which wields considerable influence. Detective Beltran explains to his partner Carmichael that the last detective who tried to bring Garcia to justice was found murdered.

Prior to the preliminary hearing, Riley is visited by the perpetrators' lawyer, who tries to bribe her. She refuses the bribe, but the lawyer notices she has anti-psychotic medication at home and uses this information to paint her as an unreliable witness. Judge Stevens, who is secretly on the cartel's payroll, declares there is insufficient evidence to allow the perpetrators to stand trial and dismisses the case, while the prosecuting lawyers do nothing. Outraged, Riley tries to attack her family's killers, but is tasered and placed on a psychiatric hold in a mental institution. En route, she escapes and vanishes.

Five years later, Detectives Beltran and Carmichael arrive at the site of the carnival and find the three shooters hanging from a ferris wheel, having been executed by Riley. The executions attract the attention of FBI agent Lisa Inman, who meets with Beltran and Carmichael. Inman explains that before vanishing, Riley robbed the bank she used to work at, and that she has now returned, having robbed a gun store of various assault rifles and ammunition.

Riley executes Judge Stevens by blowing up his house, having already killed the defense and prosecution lawyers involved, deaths which Inman, Carmichael and Beltran learn of after the explosion. They decide to tell the media about Riley, which causes a debate on social media between those who see her as a hero and those who see her as a criminal.

Riley heads to a business that is a front for Diego's money laundering, where she kills most of his men, save for one she interrogates. Diego realizes Riley is responsible for his recent shipments going missing and resolves to kill her. Meanwhile, Inman discovers Riley has been living on Skid Row, owing to recent changes to crime patterns in the area. She finds Riley's van, which is filled with the stolen weapons, and learns that the people there see Riley as their guardian angel for keeping them safe.

Riley survives a trap set by Diego, follows his henchmen to Diego's home, and kills many of his men. When Diego's young daughter—who evokes her own murdered child—interrupts her as she confronts Diego, she hesitates and Diego wounds her and escapes. Inman calls Carmichael to Skid Row to wait for Riley. Carmichael, secretly on Diego's payroll, arrives and shoots Inman dead, then notifies Diego of Riley's likely destination.

Riley returns to Skid Row, which is swarming with Diego's men. She manages to kill several of them and finds Inman's body. Using Inman's phone, she contacts the media and reveals her location, inviting both the media and LAPD. She confronts Diego, stalling him long enough for the police to arrive. Diego shoots Carmichael and runs, only to be beaten down by Riley. Surrounded by police, Riley shoots Diego in the head yet manages to escape.

Beltran finds her critically wounded at her family's gravestone and has her brought to the hospital, despite Riley's expressed desire to die. Beltran later visits her, telling her that there are those who agree with what she did, and slips her the key to her handcuffs, allowing Riley to escape.

Cast

File:Jennifer Garner at the Fast Company Innovation Festival - 44972951114 (cropped).jpg in 2018]]

{{Cast listing|

Jennifer Garner as Riley North
John Ortiz as Detective Moises Beltran
John Gallagher Jr. as Detective Stan Carmichael
Juan Pablo Raba as Diego Garcia
Annie Ilonzeh as FBI Agent Lisa Inman
Jeff Hephner as Chris North
Pell James as Peg
Cliff "Method Man" Smith as Narcotics Detective Barker
Cailey Fleming as Carly North
Tyson Ritter as Homeless Sam
Richard Cabral as Salazar
Johnny Ortiz as Torres
Eddie Shin as FBI Agent Peter Li
John Boyd as Marvin
Michael Mosley as Robert Henderson
Ian Casselberry as Cortez
Kyla-Drew Simmons as Maria
Samantha Edelstein as Ice Cream Vendor
YaYa Gosselin as Ana (Garcia's Daughter)
Emma Thoraval as Homeless Girl (Maria)
Hunter Wright as Homeless Kid
Tate Birchmore as Boy on Bus

}}

Production

In May 2017 director Pierre Morel was attached to the project, he previously directed the first film in the Taken series starring Liam Neeson. The script, influenced by the Marvel Comics character Frank Castle / Punisher,{{cite web |author=Brittney |title=What Does The Graffiti On The Movie Peppermint Say? |date=November 19, 2021 |work=ArtRadarJournal.com |url=https://artradarjournal.com/2021/11/19/what-does-the-graffiti-on-the-movie-peppermint-say |access-date=November 19, 2021}} came from writer Chad St. John, who previously co-wrote the script for London Has Fallen.{{cite web |last=Ford |first=Rebecca |title=Cannes: Lionsgate Takes Female Action Movie 'Peppermint' |date=May 21, 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/cannes-lionsgate-takes-female-action-movie-peppermint-1005966 |access-date=March 28, 2018}} In August 2017, Jennifer Garner was in talks to join the film as Riley North, a woman who, driven by the deaths of her daughter and husband, killed by a cartel, wages a one-woman war on crime using various weapons.{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Ashley |title=Jennifer Garner in Talks to Star in Revenge Thriller 'Peppermint' |date=August 8, 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/peppermint-jennifer-garner-talks-star-revenge-thriller-1027632 |access-date=March 28, 2018}}{{cite web |author=Mike Fleming Jr. |title=Jennifer Garner Joins Lakeshore & Pierre Morel-Helmed Revenge Thriller 'Peppermint'; STX films To Distribute |date=August 8, 2017 |work=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/jennifer-garner-peppermint-revenge-thriller-stx-entertainment-lakeshore-pierre-morel-1202143910/ |access-date=March 28, 2017}} The title of the film, "Peppermint", refers both to the flavor of ice-cream the character's daughter was eating upon her death, and the eventual alias taken by her as she embarks on her crusade.

Filming took place on location in California over fifty days.

Stunt coordinator Don Lee previously worked with Garner on Daredevil and Elektra.{{cite web |author1=Brittany Frederick |title=Peppermint interview: Don Lee on coordinating Jennifer Garner's fights |url=https://fansided.com/2018/12/15/peppermint-don-lee-jennifer-garner-fight-coordinator/ |website=FanSided |date=15 December 2018}}

Garner trained for three months to prepare. Training included dance, cardio and weight training, boxing workouts, artillery sessions, and stunt work with her longtime double, Shauna Duggins.{{cite magazine | date = September 7, 2018 | author = Ruth Kinane |title= Jennifer Garner had 'the greatest fun' training to kick butts for 'Peppermint' |url= https://ew.com/movies/2018/09/07/jennifer-garner-peppermint-interview/ |magazine= Entertainment Weekly }}{{cite web |date=20 August 2018 | author = Amy Nicholson |title=Jennifer Garner Talks Walk of Fame, TV After 'Alias' |url= https://variety.com/2018/film/features/jennifer-garner-walk-of-fame-alias-1202903262/ |website= Variety | quote= I don’t like to give up my action scenes to my beloved double Shauna [Duggins] to do for me because I want to do them }}

Release

The film premiered at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 in Los Angeles on August 28, 2018.{{cite web|date=August 29, 2018|last=Quinn|first=Dave|title=Jennifer Garner Returns to the Red Carpet in a Little Black Dress at Peppermint Premiere |url=https://people.com/style/jennifer-garner-peppermint-premiere-little-black-dress/ |work=People}} Ahead of the release of the film Garner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.{{cite web |date= 21 August 2018 |last1= Delbyck |first1= Cole |title= Jennifer Garner Makes Rare Appearance With Kids At Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony |url= https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jennifer-garner-kids-hollywood-walk-of-fame-ceremony_us_5b7b644de4b0a5b1febe2cd0 |website= Huffington Post |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181127173657/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jennifer-garner-kids-hollywood-walk-of-fame-ceremony_us_5b7b644de4b0a5b1febe2cd0 |archive-date= 2018-11-27 |url-status= live }}

The film went on general release in the United States on September 7, 2018.{{cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |title=Jennifer Garner Thriller 'Peppermint' Sets Post-Labor Day Weekend Debut |date=March 22, 2018 |work=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/jennifer-garner-peppermint-stx-movie-release-date-1202351532/ |access-date=March 28, 2018}}{{cite web |last=McNary |first=Dave |title=Jennifer Garner's Action-Thriller 'Peppermint' Sets September Release |date= March 22, 2018 |work=Variety |url= https://variety.com/2018/film/news/jennifer-garner-thriller-peppermint-september-1202733627/ |access-date=March 28, 2018}}{{cite web |last=N'Duka |first=Amanda |title='Taken' Helmer Pierre Morel To Direct 'The New Mrs. Keller' With Claes Bang Set As Lead |date= March 22, 2018 |work=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/pierre-morel-direct-the-new-mrs-keller-claes-bang-1202351588/ |access-date=March 28, 2018}}

=Box office=

Peppermint grossed $35.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $18.4 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $53.8 million,{{cite web |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=peppermint.htm |title=Peppermint (2018) |website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=June 28, 2019}} against a production budget of $22.8 million,{{cite report |title= Film and Television Tax Credit Program Program 2.0 |url= http://film.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/CFC-Approved-Projects-List.pdf |publisher= California Film Commission|page= 9 |access-date= September 9, 2019}} to $25 million.

In the United States and Canada, Peppermint was released alongside The Nun and God Bless the Broken Road, and was projected to gross $10–13{{nbsp}}million from 2,980 theaters in its opening weekend.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-box-office-projection-jennifer-garner-peppermint-1202456596/ |title='The Nun' To Fly To $40M+, Eyes Record Opening For 'Conjuring' Franchise – Box Office Preview |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=September 4, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=September 4, 2018}} The film made $4.7{{nbsp}}million on its first day, including $800,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $13.4{{nbsp}}million, finishing second at the box office, behind The Nun.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-weekend-box-office-conjuring-records-peppermint-jennifer-garner-1202459068/ |title='The Nun' Hits The Hallelujah With $54M Opening, Best Ever In 'Conjuring' Universe – Sunday AM Update |website=Deadline|date= September 9, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=September 9, 2018}}

=Critical response=

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, and an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critical consensus reads, "Far from refreshing, Peppermint wastes strong work from Jennifer Garner on a dreary vigilante-revenge story that lacks unique twists or visceral thrills."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/peppermint_2018|title=Peppermint (2018)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/peppermint |title=Peppermint reviews | website = Metacritic |access-date=September 20, 2018 }} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "Death Wish on steroids", and said it "lacks subtlety and anything even remotely resembling credibility, but, like its heroine, it certainly gets the job done".{{cite web |first=Frank |last=Scheck |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/peppermint-review-1140251 |title='Peppermint' Review |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 6, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2018}} IndieWire's Jude Dry gave the film a "C+". He wrote that Garner deserves to be in better films, and said the film is a "rare return to form for Garner, who doles out her vigilante justice with effortless charm. Unfortunately, that's about the only reason to see Peppermint".{{cite web |first=Jude |last=Dry |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/09/peppermint-review-jennifer-garner-1202001051/ |title='Peppermint' Review: Jennifer Garner's Vigilante Mom Deserves Better |website=IndieWire |date=September 6, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2018}}

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two out of four stars, writing, "In the stylishly directed but gratuitously nasty and cliché-riddled Peppermint, Garner plays essentially two characters cut from the same person."{{cite web |first=Richard |last=Roeper |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/peppermint-review-movie-jennifer-garner-film/ |title='Peppermint' movie review: Jennifer Garner back to kicking butt in nasty revenge thriller |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=September 6, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2018}} Writing for TheWrap, Todd Gilchrist said that Peppermint "ultimately possesses the stale predictability of an unwrapped candy discovered at the bottom of a purse."{{cite web |last=Verhoeven |first=Beatrice |url=https://www.thewrap.com/peppermint-film-review-jennifer-garner/ |title='Peppermint' Film Review: Jennifer Garner Vengeance Saga Lacks Snap |website=The Wrap|date=September 6, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2018}}

Andrew Barker of Variety wrote: "Garner gives everything that is asked of her, from brute physicality to dewy-eyed tenderness, but this half-witted calamity botches just about everything else. Drably by-the-numbers except for the moments where it goes gobsmackingly off-the-rails, Peppermint misfires from start to finish."{{cite web |date= 6 September 2018 |first= Andrew|last= Barker |title= Film Review: 'Peppermint' |url= https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/peppermint-film-review-1202929343/ |website= Variety }}

Emily Yoshida of New York Magazine wrote: "There was a time when a woman being the star of her own bad action franchise could have been considered the apex of progress, but that time is past." Yoshida criticizes the lack of originality in the film and says that casting Garner is not enough to change that.{{cite web | date = September 7, 2018 |first=Emily|last=Yoshida | title = Peppermint is Bad, Old-Fashioned Action Schlock — and a Female Lead Doesn't Change That |url= https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/peppermint-review.html|website= Vulture }}