Drea & the art of aesthetic vengeance 💅 (costume & character analysis)

[@artatmidnight]

how glad are we that Camila Mendes is now free from the shackles of Riverdale so that she can pursue more actually decent projects like this 🥲

[@trinaq]

Extremely glad! So much talent is being wasted on that show, and I'm happy that all of the cast members are now freed to work on bigger and better projects.

[@artatmidnight]

@@trinaq yes! the cast was so fed up with it too. in so many interviews you could tell they couldn't wait for it to end 😂

[@kyrcamille9106]

YAYYY

[@OpticalSorcerer]

It's sad how good that show started off and went downhill so quickly.

[@magicknight13]

Yes!!!!!

[@trinaq]

I love how this movie was a love letter to 90's and 00's teen revenge movies. All of the outfits are flawless, and really vibe in with the movie's biting tone.

[@artatmidnight]

the outfits are the best part ! I think Drea and Eleanor's outfits, plus the school uniform are iconic - and maybe even referenced in future teen movies 💞

[@ladydiamond6611]

Many people pointed out how Max is "the jock" of the 2020s, a modernised version, which I agree.

[@alyssapinon9670]

Yes! I also love how “Do revenge” made similar casting decisions as “promising young woman” by casting a likable actor (who also played sweetheart characters) to subvert audience expectations and further lend to Max’s “nice guy” image.

[@Victoria-_]

Definitely

[@SINyeahseneee]

I honestly adore the fashion in this movie and want the school uniform so bad, especially the purple skirts.

[@artatmidnight]

same, i love the capes too 💜

[@cottonclouds]

drea starts the movie a menace to society and ends the movie a menace to society and i love that for her xx

[@Senate300]

A self aware menace to be exact.

[@Aisha_Luv]

Personally I dont think drea is as bad of a person by the end of the movie. I think before she didnt even realize the impact her actions had, but after russ points out she leeked the photos of the girls she DID feel guilty, she just didnt really think about it before, so that combined with seeing yow her actions effected elenore so much to this day, i think she realized she needed to think twice before being awful, so even though she still took revenge on max, it was only because he was truly the worst, and all she really did was expose whwt he actually did.

[@sufnskanne469]

I think Drea is still a horrible person by the end of it and I route for her still

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

@@sufnskanne469Exactly! Nothing wrong with a we’ll written villain I enjoyed the complexity, she is not all bad but she is definitely a meany

[@farnesetbh8487]

Also the other girls were not innocent, they were very clearly with a guy who had a gf

[@irondragonmaiden]

I mean, I am morally against the idea of "you need to be the bigger person" when someone has done you dirty like Max did with Drea (and all of the other girls). The world is worse off when the Maxes of the world aren't punished and put in their place

[@The-Busy-Beeeee]

Real if they don’t have any consequences how on Earth will that stop them from doing it to someone else and ruin their lives

[@mak8680]

Preach it Girlie! P.S I love your Username

[@nekochan3231]

Thank youu. I'm so sick of moral high grounds. It rlly gives off holier than thou vibe

[@KaiKailuv]

Right! Also female rage is so look down upon that many of us feel we can’t even be angry. But fuck that!

[@wyster14]

Actually yes. The pressure to take the moral high ground is usually only pushed by those who benefit for not getting called out when they act shitty. The whole point of having a voice is being able to call out bad behavior. Honestly though, usually people don’t learn a lesson through punishment, they learn through humiliation

[@roy.shrestha]

The dress Drea wears at the party also resembles her first outfit during Allegra’s revenge. Both outfits have blue & gold shades. The first outfit is soft and has lighter shades of both colours. But, the dress has richer & bolder shades of the colours. Everything comes full circle because those are the outfits she wears during her first and last revenge.

[@EmyN]

Do Revenge doesn't win over other teen classics but I think it nails the updated version of it, like how you pointed out how Max is a different male villain, more realistic to nowadays

[@iara58]

I trully think it could have been considered a teen classic if it came out during the early 2000s

[@dannylavender]

I think Drea's growth at the end of the movie is great. She hasn't grown much, but she's grown in a way that's realistic for her. There is still a lot for her to do, but that's the same with pretty much everyone. We are always growing, and we all grow and learn at different paces. The way the movie ends assures the audiences that good things are ahead for our main character, rather than the cliche ending where all the bad has been destroyed and only good remains.

[@icaruszaragoza1109]

i love her dress at the end because its such a contrast between her buisness/trendy looks and kind of shows her lack of control over the situation paired with Eleanor's suit type outfit but then at the end she has so much more movement and feels so much more free than any of her other looks.

[@TheTbear103]

You brought up such percetive points!!! I didn't notice the warm vs. cool colors of the characters, the tightness of drea's hairstyles, make up colors etc. I really liked all the insightful things you said about narcissism

[@artatmidnight]

thank you! 🥰 this video is kinda different because i wanted to talk about so many things. it's so helpful to get comments that are specific about what you liked! i appreciate u!

[@Bellableani]

this isn’t what your video is about but i firmly believe that if they were gonna give eleanor a girlfriend then it should’ve been tara and not the random, non-character sister of max (loved this video by the way!)

[@artatmidnight]

thank you ! Max’s sister was so random. i thought eleanor would make up with Carissa since she never did anything in the first place. and then there was a split second i thought eleanor & drea were going to get together lol

[@Bellableani]

@@artatmidnight i thought that too about e/drea! but anything would’ve been better than max’s sister honestly

[@gracereads2917]

​@@artatmidnightyes omg we all wanted DreaNora to happen fr the bones of a ship were all there. Just one little kiss in that final scene would have been enough for me. Or even two! One when they're on the bed or after they expose Max and head to the beach

[@annaandthensomethingelse9435]

@@gracereads2917 but i thought their friendship was actually super wholesome 🥺🥺 plus, it feels so much more real to have casual affection vs romantic affection. Llike this is gunna sound super lame but like cant friends just be kinda cute with each other without it automatically being gay? like obv when its gay its gud but like its also gud when its not, if u get what i mean. man im so bad at articulating my thoughts 💀

[@arashibaka]

@@gracereads2917 i wanted dreanora to be a thing so bad... i just love toxic yuri and they were perfect for that lmao

[@besfpolycule8710]

Do Revenge was unironically one of my favorite movies of 2022, and it fills me with joy to see one of the few KZbinrs I enthusiastically enjoy talk about it at all, let alone with mostly kind words and praise. Thank you, you made my day with this.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

On the Erica thing, I've met a girl who acted exactly like this. But she wasn't motivated by revenge, more by self-interest. Drea is just as bad as the people she's seeking revenge against, IMO. She was willing to drug dozens of people at the party when really it was only one of them who hurt her. Drea might be a communal narcissist: a person who uses good causes and kindess as a facade for their image, selfishness, and ambition. They are socially intelligent and use people.

[@Senate300]

Let's do revenge is a brilliant, deliciously unapologetic take on young sociopathy at full strength. Drea's vengeance on others always looked impatient, instantaneous, instinctive and opportunitistic. What made her ruthless was that tunnel vision, meaning anyone standing in between her and the opponent was collateral damage. By the likes of Eleanor(who in her need for vengeance was the cold, calculating, patient monster Drea created), Drea was easy to manipulate via subterfuge because of her narcissism. Max pointed out how much he and Drea were very much alike but in his eyes there could only be room for one. Being a scholarship kid among trust fund brats was the source that chip on her shoulder. In the end, Drea like Max and Eleanor was truly capable of anything.

[@lemonjoyce3018]

Unpopular opinion, but she would absolutely destroy Maddie in a confrontation

[@brandneweyes4095]

LOVED Camila Mendes in this!!! Like wow, I really want to see her in more stuff. Hot take but I didn’t like the Eleanor revenge plot twist, it wasn’t a bad idea but it should’ve been executed a bit differently I think. The ending was definitely rushed but overall I really liked this movie!

[@audreyluan5325]

I love how Max is the male version of the "femme fatale" - the "HOMME fatale". It subverts the trope that only women manipulate using sex appeal.

[@mayln163]

My favorite outfit is the one Drea wears in the beginning of the movie

[@artatmidnight]

i love that look too. did you know that orange wrap was only like $15?? it looks so expensive

[@mayln163]

@@artatmidnight 😮

[@totitelevisionshow]

@@artatmidnighti think that really ties together the look. It proves she’s lying about her status to fit in, the orange wrap looks expensive yet it’s actually cheap,

[@mofthemoth5755]

The outfits are the best part of the movie

[@darthtepes]

Also I appreciate that the whattatwist about Maya's character is a reference to, say, a B-movie of teen comedies Slap Her She's French, with all this conspiracy crafted for years to beat the protagonist in the back for humiliation she caused as a kid in primary school. Like, Nora is literally Genevieve who plots revenge against Drea \ Starla (she even wears a beret lol)

[@amandalp9169]

This is such a great analysis of clothing, makeup, hair, colour and character development! I'm so impressed with all your detail on this!

[@artatmidnight]

thank you Amanda! i love appreciating all the work that goes into a film like this - they did a great job with this movie 💞

[@MRuane-i3n]

I love the Drea/Blair Waldorf parallels like revenge, Yale, status. The only difference is that Blair has status, yet is loving and caring at her core whereas Drea must fight for status and shows very little care for even her closest friends.

[@clementinevonodd]

this is so well constructed and articulated! 💜

[@artatmidnight]

thank you! i had a lot of fun putting it together. it was such a nice change from going through The Idol 😭

[@EmonEconomist]

I saw a reaction video where the reactor pointed out that Drea and Eleanor look like a pair of handbags in their party outfits at the end (Drea with the big gold chain and Eleanor with the zippers) and now I can't unsee it 😅

[@ValeriaAndCine]

the way i was so excited when i saw this pop up 😆 this movie is so well made and the plot twist was so good. im so glad you covered it!

[@artatmidnight]

thank you Victoria ! 🥰 i just love the fashion in this movie so much and the unique characters, i just had to talk about it 💞 thank u for watching!!

[@denisablaskova3269]

Good job! Also the actor who played Max, played in chemical hearts love interest for lili reinhart so that's funny.

[@jaythefae1595]

I actually love all theese kinds of videos of colour theory and costume design, and how it was used, i want to see more, they are perfect for me as someone who loves the themes and reasons behind design, and as someone who loves a video essay

[@anyaaa2801]

I loved the outfits and the aesthetics and just how colorful the movie was.

[@thadyleshcarmona5050]

I really love this movie. You should do cruel intentions and jaw breaks

[@artatmidnight]

i need to see Jaw Breakers!! the colour palette of that movie looks so fun

[@mayln163]

@@artatmidnightthe slow motion walk down the hallway is iconic

[@EmyN]

Omg yes for Cruel Intentions

[@EliSutarday]

I quite literally love your videos and how you're able to piece the clothes to the characters' motives and development. I was really waiting for you to do something on do revenge and I'm happy you did, definitely your best video yet 💯💯❤‍🔥

[@artatmidnight]

thank you! you're the sweetest ! 🥰🧁 i can't wait to do more videos like these on other movies 💞

[@EliSutarday]

​​@@artatmidnightofc🔥🔥PLEASE DO, I am really excited to see more and see u grow ... 👍🏿😅

[@jesserivera2043]

One cliche I usually hate in movies is the Ivy League For Everyone trope, mostly because that character's accomplishments or actions in the movie don't reflect them working towards that goal. Netflix is in love with a teenage protagonist going to an Ivy League, which leads me to believe that no one at Netflix went to an Ivy League school 😂 However, in this movie it works really well because Drea herself is narcissistic and built on a curated brand image, so of course her goals for college reflect that need to be perceived a certain way.

[@eleanorlevetan]

ive been hyperfixated on this movie since it came out so i thank u for this 🙏

[@roy.shrestha]

I absolutely adore your channel. Love the detailed analysis of this movie. I have so much respect for the costume & makeup department of this movie, not only are the looks fashionable but every look has a story to tell about the character or the plot.

[@marorozco9706]

I would have excused the weird pacing and messy third act if Drea and Eleanor had ended up together instead of with total randos... they're both so crazy and intense and the partners are so chill and nice... I know they say opposite attracts, but in this case I just think Drea and Eleanor deserve each other, for better and for worse xD I like my sapphics a little unhinged

[@arashibaka]

they could have been the toxic yuri of our dreams fr

[@mochimellow4188]

I don't like the insinuation that Max doesn't deserve the revenge he receives. Of all the people she does revenge on he and Erika are the ones who absolutely deserve it.

[@addydarling]

I really enjoyed this movie and watching your video made me want to watch it again ❤ I just love the fashion and general vibe and aesthetic of the movie

[@artatmidnight]

the aesthetic is how i wish my life looked

[@owouwu5555]

Glad to see other people appreciating this movie! It was definitely a pleasant surprise

[@anaiswannyn1235]

I love how you explain everything so well ❤ I love your videos

[@artatmidnight]

thank you ! i'm smiling from your kind comment 🥰

[@notaauroraa]

I love your channel and your videos

[@artatmidnight]

thank you 🥰🫶 i loved putting this one together. it’s such a visually beautiful movie !

[@notaauroraa]

@@artatmidnight i agree, its so pleasing and because I am into those 90s/2000s girly movies, I really liked this one Also your channel is chefs kiss 🫶

[@pigeondance]

I loooove love love this video and the costume design in do revenge!!! literally perfection

[@natalietf8001]

totally just binged a bunch of your videos, they're so good

[@jamescarr1265]

this movie was the definition of slay

[@aliciascott7244]

Oh my gosh, I love this analysis!

[@noidea5927]

Why is it my comfort video? Every time i need something positive i just watch this

[@johntuff1309]

Amazing video!!!! Keep shinning 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@artatmidnight]

thank you!! 🥰🥰

[@veahhh.x]

do revenge is criminally underrated!

[@snoovian7951]

gonna love this channel, video essays analyzing the fashion of the media I love - perfect. (also can't wait for the jinx i see in the channel banner lol)

[@Lilyofyourheart]

I love this movie and this video. I really loved all tge fashion and dreas character when i first watched the movie so seeing it analyzed like this is absolutely amazing

[@ImJustHereToWatch14]

Really enjoyed this analysis, especially of the ways she grew while acknowledging the flaws she didn't lose. I had a hard time with this movie when it came out because it was so fun, but it felt like Drea didn't learn enough. I was having a hard time with why Eleanor would team up with Drea at the end after Drea restarted a war, but seeing it as a thematic choice and Eleanor serving as more of a plot device maybe makes sense of it all. I also didn't think Eleanor turning down Yale to volunteer made sense (Eleanor is still lower class and can't afford to only volunteer) and Yale is still a good goal, even if she isn't obsessed with revenge any more. I wasn't as into the boyfriend as you, but I also would have preferred he not take her back. The ending still strikes me a little bit as Drea still getting a happy ending despite not really having changed, but I see it a little better now as being a story more about themes and vibes than realism

[@bleachpossum]

This might be a reach but could her red eyeshadow is a homage to Lady Vengeance?

[@normalgirl999]

ive watched this video sooooo many times ur a genius.

[@emilyshanahan7647]

I think that both the love interests were boring and underdeveloped. Would have preferred if they weren't there at all. It almost seemed like a way to pull back from the chemistry between Eleanor and Drea.

[@astelius]

*imagine your a background character in this movie and some secrets are coming out every other week like what 💀*

[@mak8680]

God I love this movie and this video only made the love grow.

[@Gemini_Woman]

Wouldn't Max get put in prison for leaking Drea's nudes ? She's a minor, so technically, he is spreading CP.

[@artatmidnight]

he’s expelled at the end of the movie & rejected from Yale, so legal consequences are probably next i would think

[@joumanaelnahal4290]

It is a crime “revenge porn“ to be exact

[@Victoria-_]

I LOVED this movie!

[@EmyN]

This was amazing! As usual... 😝 would be great if you did the other characters!

[@idrinkandiknowthings9738]

Fine I’ll watch do revenge again🙄😂

[@noemiesdreams]

Absolutely love the video!

[@mikamika8445]

I don’t think the movie is perfect but does extend a bridge from Cruel Intentions and even gossip girl. Maybe is not a teen revenge classic now. But in the future when we look back a it, and see what in the period worked, we will find it even more entertaining. The entertaining debauchery and themes related to power dynamics where fashion is an important tool where spot on. The fashion reminded me of Clueless, and the preppy uniform were spot on, should be a real thing. My only problem is that the male villain seemed weak, it would have been cooler if he looked up to par to Drea, more of a Tom Tucker. The boyfriend could have been more interesting. When Eleanor gets that makeover she still looks rough. But yeah, it’s a good movie and knows its sources.

[@ladydiamond6611]

BRB gonna watch this im again bc I forgot how fun it was!!

[@StardewSkies]

More than anything I find this movie a love letter to cruel intentions, but like cruel intentions the ending is a bit clumsy.

[@lilavril3]

i love screaming i didn’t do co**ine in the accent (idk if they block drug talk lmao)

[@paulae4033]

The final act was so messy. I did not understand it until this video 😂

[@ريحانة-و8ك]

ngl...pretty much everyone drea did revenge on deserved it. she's not a good person but i support her lol also, is it just me or did drea's earrings in the party dress not match the dress's vibe at all??? to me they they strike such a wrong note, they're just so anachronistic and the shapes don't flow with the dress at all. and this is definitely just me, but the way the chain went down the back of the dress felt like she wars wearing a leash and i really hated that, like it goes against her characterization so much, the whole point of drea is that *she* is in power, she's in control, NO ONE holds her back or controls *her*. i loved the dress otherwise but that really bothered me

[@SlayerNinaFriki]

Do more characters please!

[@nylapatterson5244]

omg i love u

[@artatmidnight]

no i love u

[@galacticagamer2000]

The costume designer who worked on this movie should’ve been hired for The Little Mermaid so Ariel would have more than that boring blue dress, also the last one was basically the same but just different colour?

[@EmyN]

Fuck yeahhhhh this is going to be litttt

[@karmAnonymous]

I love that she literally only learned the most selfish parts of the lessons.... because hella people are this infuriatingly narcissistic & daft frfr 💀😂🤮

[@thayibaahmed824]

will you be doing nora?

[@artatmidnight]

i think i might do a Short on her! 💞

[@susanstorm7910]

Cami should be Emma Frost in the mcu

[@snooge13]

👏👏👏👏

[@leskijin4988]

Gosh, apart from the visuals. I do not think this movie has a good script. But, good video!

[@angelical5386]

What bothers me about this movie was that there were so many fun things to look at but it didn’t give me enough time to absorb it.

[@darielzahidpalacios1605]

I don’t think Drea cared about people knowing she’s a schoolarship and poor, rather she hated the fact that could be used by the others to see her as less than

[@Shaylovespopeye]

I don’t like the ending of movie and I think this movie is to wired

[@artatmidnight]

fair enough! i thought the ending was a bit off too. everything happens so fast

[@Reverse_Cat_Cowgirl]

Isn't Allegra an algery pill? Why would a writer do this for non comedy reasons? 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️🤦

[@owouwu5555]

Allegra is actually a name! of Italian origins derived from the musical term 'allegro'

[@Reverse_Cat_Cowgirl]

@@owouwu5555 Thanks for sharing this fun fact. I was intally thinking big pharma did people dirty, but americans use of the baby name rises for a bit around the same time of the drug being introduced. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@morrismmm]

This was an amazing movie, but the ending made me sooo uncomfortable! Like i felt like they could have ended in a life learning leason for all which includes Max. Like all three were basically the same character, and Max had depth, and even more sympathy than Drea. Max didn't feel appropriated nor acknowledged for all he has done and was basically neglected and exploded by Drea. And i found it funny that when a female character is in that position, she has reason to act out on revenge, but when Max did it, it was villainous... I mean, revenge porn is condemnable, but they should shown empathy towards him and have all three take accountability/redeemed themselves and show how to communicate disrespect and channel pain into something, and to better grow a relationship(s). But i get it, it was done in a time where "we hate men and they should die", but the ending had so much potential to change the narrative for empathy and accountability for both genders. Which is why i like the Barbie Movie! But yeah, i love everything about the movie, but the ending 😂

[@Senate300]

Let's do revenge is a wet dream for psychologists. One could imagine debate surrounding where all 3 characters rank on the psychopathy scale. Drea, Eleanor and Max all had depth to them and all 3 were capable of anything.

[@sidlazzar1002]

Great video 🤩The importance of modern costume design is so undervalued or not done right in so many movies and shows. They really nailed it with this one 🥹