PIXIE -- A Fun Starring Vehicle for Olivia Cooke

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Pixie is set in Ireland and has a lot of beautiful scenery. The setting allows for a quirky revenge story to blossom. When the film starts it is quite alarming what happens. Two men go into a church and try to rob it. A gunfight breaks out and the two young men end up killing a bunch of priests and end up with a bag of drugs. That's just the beginning of this wild film that turns into a road trip film in the end.

Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal, Thoroughbreds) plays the titular character, Pixie. She's a bit of a tease and men fall for her feminine wiles. Her ex-boyfriend was one of the robbers of the church. She set him on this heist. Everything from that point on goes to hell. Along the way, she gets involved with two more unwitting accomplices. This is where the road trip aspect comes in. 

Some supporting roles in the film off Pixie's father and the leader of a gang of priests are played by Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October, The Shadow). These two add a lot of levity and laughs to the film. Both of their groups are searching for Pixie and her companions. Both men have a propensity for violent behavior which they will come to use by the end of the film.

Olivia Cooke is of British descent, but usually plays people from the United States. As the title character Pixie, she has to use an Irish accent. She falls into the accent and character perfectly. She was perfect as this young lady who has every man she meets wrapped around her finger including her tough father. She just seems like she was made to play this character. It is quite different from some past roles in horror films she has played. 

Pixie isn't the best heist/revenge film, but it has its moments. The relationship between Pixie and her accomplices is a sweet and caring one. She genuinely cares about her two new friends until she doesn't. She just has a way of getting what she wants. These young guys both fall for her. That is part of the fun of watching this relationship blossom gradually.

The Director, Barnaby Thompson, has a good feel for this story and film as a whole. He gets the humor and the more romantic moments of the film. He seems like he has a grasp on who is the focus and focal point of this little film. It has more than enough meat and potatoes to make it enjoyable. Cooke is the real star and main thing to see in this film. Her performance is worth the price of admission alone. 

Pixie hits theaters and VOD on March 5.

Rating: 3.5/5