Jesse V. Johnson discusses Avengement, Scott Adkins and the realities of making fast, brutal action films.
Director, Stuntman, Storyteller
Jesse V. Johnson is a British director, screenwriter and stunt coordinator, born in Winchester in 1971. He built his reputation on action films, and he is closely associated with Scott Adkins. Avengement, released in 2019, is their sixth collaboration, and interviews around its release give a clear picture of how the partnership works.
Johnson has said he was introduced to Adkins at the start of his directing career by director Isaac Florentine, who was a big fan of the actor. Their first film together was The Debt Collector, and the pair went on to make Accident Man and Triple Threat.
Where the Idea Came From
Avengement began with one of Johnson’s older scripts. Adkins had been looking for a project set in the United Kingdom, and Johnson chose this one. The script was inspired by the 1962 samurai film Harakiri, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, and writer Stu Small was brought in to rewrite the dialogue and tailor it to Adkins.
Small has said the idea started with Johnson, then went to Adkins, and then to him, so the three worked together to bring the character to life. Adkins added that the story had to be dark and gritty because it is ultimately a revenge tale.
Cain Burgess
Adkins plays Cain Burgess, a prisoner who is let out on furlough to visit his dying mother, only to learn that she has already passed away. He escapes his guards and returns to old haunts to take revenge on the people who turned him into a cold killer. In his own words, Adkins described the character as a hardened, rusty nail forged by prison.
Johnson has said that other actors were considered before Adkins, but once Adkins stepped in, his total commitment was clear from the first scene, and the crew had to work hard to keep up.
Making It on a Tight Schedule
Johnson is open about the practical side of filmmaking. He has described the budget and schedule on Avengement as much tighter than on some earlier projects, and he has said that making money is part of the business. That honesty is typical of his interviews and explains why his films feel so focused.
The film’s release followed the same practical path. It arrived on 24 May 2019 on video on demand and in selected theaters, and the UK physical release came on 1 July 2019.
Directing the Fights
Johnson has performed a great deal of choreography and action direction himself, but he has said he prefers not to do it on his own films because it takes too much energy. Instead he watches rehearsals and recorded fight videos and works closely with Adkins to shape the action.
This method keeps his attention on the story. The fights in Avengement are brutal, but they are designed to reveal Cain’s history and anger, which is why many reviewers found them memorable.
The Cast and the Sound
The supporting cast includes Craig Fairbrass, Thomas Turgoose, Kierston Wareing, Nick Moran, Leo Gregory and Louis Mandylor. Their characters give Cain a world of old allies and enemies, and Lincoln’s firm becomes a central threat. Composer Sean Murray, a regular on Johnson’s team, supplies a synth score that one reviewer compared to a mix of classic British crime cinema and John Carpenter.
The result is a violent film with a distinct sound and a very British sense of menace.
Reception
Avengement received generally positive reviews, with praise for the action choreography and for Adkins’ performance. Several critics called it a career-best role. One reviewer said it should encourage genre fans to get to know Johnson’s work if they have not already.
Final Thoughts
Johnson’s interviews show a filmmaker who is practical, passionate and clear about what he wants. Avengement is a strong example of what he and Adkins can do with a small budget, a bold idea and a lot of trust. For fans of action cinema, both the film and the conversations around it are worth your time.
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