The search for revenge is one of the most common subjects in movies, especially thrillers. Revenge is likely a close third behind love and crimes for money. If done well, a revenge movie can be gratifying to watch unfold. Here are the 20 best revenge movies of all time:
2 - Death Wish (1974) Charles Bronson becomes an enraged vigilante, and seeks revenge against the street punks who murdered his wife, going after any street thugs and muggers along the way.
3 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn (1982) Kahn's vengeance against Kirk and the Enterprise. His fury drives the movie.
4 - Cape Fear (1967) Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum. A man released after 8 years in jail stalks and terrorizes the lawyer who put him away. Remade in 1991 with Robert De Niro.
5 - Death Sentence (2007) Kevin Bacon. After his son is murdered by a street gang at a convenience store, the father seeks his own revenge against them. The gang in turn wants to get back at the father for killing their brother. This sets in motion a revenge for revenge cycle that seems unstoppable.
6 - Leon: the Professional (1994) Directed by Luc Besson. A professional assassin goes on a revenge mission of his own, after rescuing a young girl from a bloody police raid.
7 - Point Blank (1967) After being double-crossed by his wife and friend, a man goes after the mob to get back a seemingly small amount of money.
8 - Friday the 13th (1978) Mrs. Voorhees seeks revenge for the death of her son, Jason.
9 - Payback (1999) Mel Gibson, Kris Kristofferson. A man is shot by his wife and friend, and left to die.
He survives and comes back to get his money back, and get revenge. A loose remake of Point Blank.
10 - Oldboy (2013) remade from a 2003 Korean movie. Someone is going to extraordinary lengths to get revenge on our leading man, even imprisoning him for years, and he needs to find out who.
11 - Law Abiding Citizen (2009) A man frustrated by the legal system, embarks on a complicated plan for revenge against his family's killers, the district attorney, and everyone involved with the case.
12 - The Crossing Guard (1995) Jack Nicholson. After his daughter is killed in a hit-and-run, her father waits for Booth, the offender, to get out of prison, then tells Booth he will kill him in 3 days. As the week comes to a close, both men are headed for a breakdown. A tense, under-appreciated revenge movie.
13 - Kick-Ass (2010) After a superhero is killed, his daughter and friend go after the killers in a rampage of slicing and dicing and shooting.
14 - Sleepers (1996) Four boys are abused in a detention center as kids. 10 years later they see a chance for revenge against their abusers.
15 - Lucky Number Sleven (2006) Bruce Willis puts together a complex plot to get back at 2 competing crime bosses for something they did many years earlier.
16 - Revenge (1990) Vengeance with many plot twists, it's hard to say anything without spoilers.
17 - Get Carter (1971) A tough gangster goes after his brother's killers.
18 - The Big Heat (1953) After his wife is killed, a ruthless cop leaves the police force and becomes a furious vigilante.
19 - Extremities (1986) Farrah Fawcett gets revenge on a man who invaded her home and tried to violate her.
20 - The Last House on the Left (2009) After brutally attacking two girls, a gang takes shelter in an old house. They don't realize the house belongs to one of the girl's parents, who plan to get revenge in a vicious manner.
Straw Dogs (1971) is often considered a revenge movie, but it's really more about protecting your home. Regardless, it's a good film and deserves a spot at #21.
List of recommended revenge movies.
No comments:
Post a Comment