The Vicious Kind is a 2009 drama film directed and written by Lee Toland Krieger. The screenplay was originally set in a small town in Rhode Island, but the film was shot in Norfolk, Connecticut, which also became the characters' hometown. The film stars Adam Scott, Brittany Snow, Alex Frost, and J.K. Simmons. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and opened in Los Angeles on December 11, 2009.

The film won various honors on the film festival circuit and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and Best Screenplay.