Forget John Wick, HBO Max’s 96-Minute Action Thriller Is Still Undefeated

David Cronenberg’s *A History of Violence*, now streaming on HBO Max, follows a small-town diner owner whose precise response to a robbery exposes a violent past. The 2005 thriller predates *John Wick* and uses its action to examine how violence affects a person and those closest to him.

Viggo Mortensen plays Tom, whose former identity as mob enforcer Joey Cusack resurfaces after he kills two robbers. The revelation draws in his brother Richie, threatens his marriage and shapes conflict with his son. Maria Bello and William Hurt also star; the film runs 96 minutes and was adapted from a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke.