It’s the fifth day of November, so you already know what that means; at some point today, V for Vendetta will become one of the hottest trending topics in all of social media and popular culture.
A minor box office success at the time of its initial release after securing almost $135 million from theaters, the comic book adaptation’s above-average reviews and engrossing dystopian stylings were quickly dwarfed by the reputation is gathered after the fact.
17 years on, and you can bet both your house and bottom dollar that Hugh Weaving’s mysterious and enigmatic title hero will be swamping your timeline, with countless fans all over the world celebrating its pivotal day by rewatching the Wachowski-backed blockbuster helmed by the duo’s protege James McTeigue.
It would be easy for some folks to downplay their unabashed love for V for Vendetta in an effort to avoid being caught up in the various crusades to have co-opted its iconography, but as one Reddit user called it when the film made its inevitable annual return to the spotlight; “The ultimate edgelord movie but I still love it.”
In the United Kingdom, everyone gathers together to light big-ass fires and set off fireworks, but the tradition of revisiting V for Vendetta has arguably become a great deal more global and internet-savvy than Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night/Fireworks Night/whatever you want to call it has.
You don’t have to be an edgelord to appreciate the slick, propulsive, and action-packed thriller for its many merits, but don’t let its appropriation (and the widespread mockery that often follows) put you off, either.