Really strong performance from Dakota Fanning.

“Vicious” is mostly a numbing slog. Fanning flatlines when left to be a solo show as Bertino whacks her around like a pinball, hitting big, loud scares that seem to keep resetting.

Bertino and Fanning are deeply committed to going to dark places, and they take us along for their freaky little ride. Whether it makes sense or not. (Probably not.)

The new horror fable is bolstered by a simple premise, a tense atmosphere, and two powerhouse performances that shape the narrative into something both achingly relatable and earth-shatteringly horrifying.