David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence is a gripping neo-noir thriller about a small-town family man whose violent past resurfaces after a heroic act. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, and Ed Harris, the film blends brutal crime drama with psychological suspense, exploring identity, morality, and the cost of violence. A tense and layered story, it ranks among Cronenberg’s most acclaimed works.

Criterion Collection

In David Cronenberg’s subtly provocative film, one of his most celebrated, all is not as it initially seems. In his first of many collaborations with the director, Viggo Mortensen delivers a highly nuanced performance as Tom Stall, a small-town husband and father who is hailed as a hero when he kills the would-be perpetrators of a violent robbery. But how did this ordinary family man dispatch them with such skill? Working with an exceptional cast that also includes Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt, Cronenberg slyly deconstructs the mythos of the American action hero, posing elemental questions about identity, human nature, and the violence that we both abhor and can’t look away from.

Från IMDB:
A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.