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About Revenge Movies
Revenge is the act of "getting even" with someone who we feel has wronged us in some way. Whether it's in a social setting or involving the death of a loved one - the result can really sting. This list represents the best movies about revenge and also the most variety in the revenge sub-genre of film and movies.
Rather than going the easy route and choosing a bunch of Batman or Rambo films to add to this list, we've chosen a mix of movies about revenge in the action, horror, thriller and even rom-com movie genres. This will give you a variety of movies to choose from at your next slumber party.
1. Cold Pursuit (2019)
Directed by Hans Petter Moland, Cold Pursuit stars Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, Emmy Rossum, Domenick Lombardozzi, Julia Jones, John Doman and Laura Dern. It was released in the year 2019.
When snowplow driver Nels Coxman's son dies from a forced heroin overdose he soon learns that he was murdered by a Denver drug cartel. Exacting vigilante justice with his wits, brute force and a sawn-off rifle, Nels decides to take on the cartel as a one-man justice machine. This is a true revenge flick!
2. Gone Girl (2014)
Written by Gillian Flynn and directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon. It was released in the year 2014.
Gone Girl centres on a husband and wife in which the wife disappears without a trace and the whole community (including the media) suspect foul play at the hands of the wife. The film then pivots to reveal that the wife isn’t actually dead and that the husband is far from the “good guy” type we were introduced to at the start of the film. Thanks to the score from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and his writing partner Atticus Ross there’s an eeriness to Gone Girl which only an impressive score like this could deliver.
3. I Am Wrath (2016)
Directed by Chuck Russell, I Am Wrath stars John Travolta, Christopher Meloni, Sam Trammell, Amanda Schull, Patrick St. Esprit, Rebecca De Mornay and Luis Da Silva. It was released in the year 2016.
I Am Wrath focuses on John Travolta's character Stanley Hill whose wife is stabbed and when he identifies the killer in a lineup the corrupt cops let him go. This turns Stanley into a one-man wrecking crew as he plans to get justice for his wife. As far as movies about revenge go, this one doesn't let up!
4. Peppermint (2018)
Directed by Pierre Morel, Peppermint is a vigilante action movie starring Jennifer Garner, John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba, and Tyson Ritter. It was released in the year 2018.
Peppermint is probably the closest a movie can get to being The Punisher without actually being The Punisher or remotely linked to Marvel Studios. The story focuses on Riley, a woman whose family is killed by a gang, which then sends her on a vigilante crusade to get justice for her dead husband and dead daughter.
5. The Equalizer (2014)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. It was released in the year 2014.
The Equalizer is one of the many great action movies. It focuses on a former U.S. Marine turned DIA intelligence officer who returns to action to protect a teenage prostitute from the Russian mob. When you're looking for movies about revenge which also exact justice for the little guy, you can't go further than Denzel Washington's portrayal in The Equalizer.
6. The Man From Nowhere (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom, The Man From Nowhere stars Won Bin and Kim Sae-ron. It was released in the year 2010.
The Man from Nowhere is about a mysterious man embarks on a bloody murderous revenge-fueled rampage when the only person who seems to understand him is kidnapped.
7. John Tucker Must Die (2006)
Written by Jeff Lowell and directed by Betty Thomas, John Tucker Must Die stars Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Sophia Bush, Arielle Kebbel, Penn Badgley and Jenny McCarthy. It was released in the year 2006.
John Tucker Must Die is a teen comedy in which three teenage girls discover basketball star, John Tucker, has secretly been dating all of them at once. The trio of girls plot to break his heart and ridiculous teenage girl drama ensues. Hell hath no fury like three teenager scorned!
8. John Wick (2014)
Written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Willem Dafoe. It was released in the year 2014.
John Wick is about a legendary hitman (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) who is forced out of retirement when the son of a mob boss and his men invade his home and kill his puppy. A puppy who was the last present to him from his now deceased wife. What starts next is a one-man vendetta against the entire mob and its action scenes are second to no film in recent memory.
9. Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Written by Steve Zacharias and Jeff Buhai and directed by Jeff Kanew, Revenge of the Nerds stars Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley and Bernie Casey. It was released in the year 1984.
Revenge of the Nerds is about exactly what the title says. It follows a group of nerds who plot to get revenge on the ongoing harassment they suffer at Adams College from the jock fraternity, the Alpha Betas, and its sister sorority, Pi Delta Pi. If you were bullied for being different then this is the perfect type of revenge story!
10. Payback (1999)
Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland, Payback stars Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello and David Paymer. It was released in the year 1999.
Payback is about Porter, a former U.S. marine and thief, who gets shot and screwed over for $70,000. The movie starts with Porter getting operated on, presumably after he's been shot, who then decides to track down all those who are responsible for betraying him. Friends and foe alike.
11. Darkman (1990)
Directed by Sam Raimi, Darkman is a superhero horror action movie starring Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels and Larry Drake. It was released in the year 1990.
Darkman focuses on scientist Peyton Westlake who is attacked and left disfigured by the mob and, after a treatment to cure him of his burns goes horribly wrong, it leaves him with super-human like abilities. Donning the moniker, Darkman, Westlake is determined to get revenge against mob boss, Robert Durant, and rid the city of crime in the process.
12. The Other Woman (2014)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes, The Other Woman is a romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Kinney and Don Johnson. It was released in the year 2014.
The Other Woman is about three women who realise they're dating the same man and who decide to get revenge by putting him through situational comedy gold!
13. The Northman (2022)
Directed by Robert Eggers, The Northman is a historical action film based on Viking mythology. It stars Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Ethan Hawke, Björk and Willem Dafoe. It was released in the year 2022.
The Northman is about a Viking prince whose father is killed and who vows to get revenge on those who betrayed him and his family.
14. Kate (2021)
Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Kate is an action-thriller movie starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson and Jun Kunimura. It was released in the year 2021.
Kate is about an assassin who takes on a high-ranking yakuza boss but is poisoned during this mission and has less than a day to live to exact revenge and find out who poisoned her.
15. Unhinged (2020)
Directed by Derrick Borte, Unhinged is an action thriller starring Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson and Austin P. McKenzie. It was released in the year 2020.
Unhinged is about a young woman who is terrorised by a mentally unwell man (played by Crowe) after a road rage incident.
57 Seconds (2023)
Directed by Rusty Cundieff, 57 Seconds is a sci-fi thriller starring Josh Hutcherson, Morgan Freeman, Greg Germann, Lovie Simone, Bevin Bru and Sammi Rotibi. It was released in the year 2023.
57 Seconds follows a tech blogger whose niche is AI in healthcare, but his life goes haywire when he discovers a means to travel back in time by 57 Seconds, during an attack on a pharmaceutical giant. He then uses this newfound ability to enact a certain brand of justice on pharmaceutical companies who have wronged people. And judging by American News - there's a lot of them!
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 2 in the second film in The Equalizer franchise and stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. It was released in the year 2018.
The Equalizer 2 continues the story of Robert McCall who is now working as a Lyft driver whilst continuing to help the less fortunate in his community. However, when Robert's former partner and DIA officer Dave York is investigating a murder suicide, Robert quickly becomes involved when he's targeted during a mercenary's botched assassination attempt.
American Assassin (2017)
Directed by Michael Cuesta, American Assassin stars Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar, David Suchet, Navid Negahban, Scott Adkins, and Taylor Kitsch. It was released in the year 2017.
American Assassin is a complicated film about main character, Mitch, whose girlfriend dies in a terrorist attack. So, in a convoluted plan to put an end to terrorism, he joins the CIA and that’s when things start to get interesting.
Mandy (2018)
Directed and co-written by Panos Cosmatos, Mandy is an action dark fantasy horror movie starring Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouéré, Richard Brake and Bill Duke. It was released in the year 2018.
Set in the 80s, Mandy follows war veteran Red Miller and his girlfriend, Mandy, who is kidnapped by a cult with the help of a cannibalistic demonic biker gang. When the Cult Leader fails to seduce Mandy she mocks him and he murders her. Causing Red to exact his brutal revenge on everyone involved. And I mean everyone.
Mandy is a perfect film if you're into horror or if you're a metal head. But it's even better if you're both!
Death Wish (2018)
Directed by Eli Roth, Death Wish is an action thriller movie starring Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise. It was released in the year 2018.
A remake of the 1974 movie of the same name, Death Wish is a vigilante flick following trauma surgeon Paul Kersey whose wife is murdered and daughter left in a coma. He then sets out to get revenge on the criminals who broke into his home and changed his life forever.
The Revenant (2015)
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant is a western action movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter. It was released in the year 2015.
The Revenant is a period film set in the 1820s where American Soldiers burn down a Native American village. When one of them is mauled by a bear and left for dead, he is buried half-alive in a grave. He manages to get out of the grave, cauterise and bandage his wounds, before heading after those who wronged him. All the while being pursued by the very angry Arikara tribe.
Carrie (1976)
Directed by Brian De Palma, Carrie is a horror movie starring Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, P. J. Soles and Betty Buckley. It was released in the year 1976.
Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, Carrie is about highschooler Carrie White who has no friends, is often bullied and lives under the roof of her religious mother who often abuses her in the name of God.
When her school bullies conspire to ensure Carrie is awarded the Prom Queen title she has pig's blood dumped on her and so starts Carrie's night of terror and revenge!
Valentine (2001)
Directed by Jamie Blanks, Valentine stars David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, Marley Shelton, Jessica Capshaw, Jessica Cauffiel, Fulvio Cecere and Katherine Heigl. It was released in 2001.
After seeing David Boreanaz as the brooding and heroic Vampire with a soul in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it’s spin-off Angel, it’s hard to imagine David Boreanaz as a relentless killer in a slasher film. Valentine is a sexy slasher film from the early 00s involving a killer taking out numerous attractive women in ways that can only be described as “101 ways to kill a Hollywood starlet.” The kills, brutal, inventive and sometimes random – but it makes for a better film than you’d expect given the synopsis is about a heart broken killer.
Face Off (1997)
Directed by John Woo, Face Off (also stylised as "Face/Off") is an action film starring John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina Gershon and Alessandro Nivola. It was released in the year 1997.
Face Off follows an FBI agent who, after learning there could be a future bombing, surgically has his face swapped with a terrorist who is in a coma. He then goes into maximum security prison to gain intelligence from the bomb maker. However, things hit an all new level of extreme when that very terrorist wakes up and has the face of the FBI agent grafted onto him and assumes the identity of the FBI Agent.
Face Off is, arguably, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage at their very best!
Django Unchained (2012)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained is a Western movie starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Michael Parks and Don Johnson. It was released in the year 2012.
Django Unchained follows a former slave turned bounty hunter who teams up with Dr King Schultz after he's freed. Together, then hunt down criminals and plot to rescue Django's wife from the sadistic clutches of plantation owner Calvin Candie.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, Friday the 13th is probably the most famous slasher film (with the exception of Halloween). It stars Betsy Palmer, Kevin Bacon, Adrienne King, Robbi Morgan, and Laurie Batram. In Friday the 13th Part 1, as it’s now known due to many other successful sequels, a group of camp counselors trying to reopen a summer camp called Crystal Lake, which has a grim past, are stalked by a mysterious killer. The killer is eventually revealed to be Mrs Vorhees, the mother of Jason Vorhees, a kid who drowned in the lake while the counsellors were off making out.
Friday the 13th has many memorable kills. The most famous of which is probably the one where Kevin Bacon is lying down on a bed and is stabbed through the mattress and through the throat. Although, an elderly woman would probably lack the strength to do so – it’s still so much fun!
The Fog (1980)
Directed by John Carpenter, The Fog stars John Houseman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Adrienne Barbeau and Hal Holbrook. It was released in 1980.
The Fog is about a coastal town in Northern California where an ominous fog visits and brings with it a host of vengeful ghosts of the sailors of a ship wreck from 100 years before. The Fog is an interesting watch as it merges elements of ghosts horror with slasher horror as the ghost-like apparitions approach their kills in an almost boogeyman sense.
Besides all of that, the atmosphere of The Fog is incredibly haunting and you’ve just got to applaud a film which brought the acting talents of Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and Adrienne Barbeau under the one banner. Kudos, JC!
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Directed by Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural gothic horror movie starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien and Jeffrey Jones. It was released in the year 1999.
Set in 1799, Sleepy Hollow follows the Washington Irving tale of Ichabod Crane who investigates a series of beheadings in the creepy town of Sleepy Hollow. Initially dismissing the rumours of a headless horsemen, it's revealed a witch is hiding amongst the villagers and controls the Horseman by possessing his head.
Bad Reputation (2007)
Written and directed by Jim Hemphill, Bad Reputation is a slasher movie starring Chris Basler, Danielle Noble, Mark Kunzman, Kristina Conzen, Dakota Ferreiro, Jerad Anderson and Angelique Hennessey. It was released in the year 2007.
Bad Reputation is about Michelle Rosen, a shy high school girl who is the victim of a brutal assault at a party. Traumatised and humiliated, she becomes consumed with rage and begins using seduction and manipulation to take out revenge on her attackers and their awful girlfriends. Eventually she becomes extremely violent and psychotic, blurring the lines between victim and villain.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a martial arts exploitation action movie starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Sonny Chiba, Julie Dreyfus, Chiaki Kuriyama, Gordon Liu and Michael Parks. It was released in the year 2003.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 follows Uma Thurman's character, The Bride, an assassin who's left for dead after a brutal massacre happens at the chapel on her wedding day - organised by her ex-lover, Bill. See where we're going with this? The Bride wakes up in hospital after a four year coma and begins to track down those responsible. First on her list? O-Ren Ishii and the Crazy 88. As for Bill? That's why there's a second movie.
The Punisher (1989)
Directed by Mark Goldblatt, The Punisher is a vigilante action based on the Marvel Comics of the same name. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr, Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard and Barry Otto. The Punisher was released in the year 1989.
The Punisher follows Dolph Lundgren's character Frank Castle who turn into a relentless vigilante when his wife and children are murdered by the mob. He then starts on an unstoppable killing spree before he teams up with mob boss Gianni Franco to take on the Yakuza and its leader Lady Tanaka.
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, The Toxic Avenger is a superhero comedy horror movie starring Andree Maranda, Mitchell Cohen, Pat Ryan Jr., Jennifer Babtist, Robert Prichard, Cindy Manion, Gary Schneider and Mark Torgl. It was released in the year 1984.
The Toxic Avenger follows down-and-out loser and gym janitor, Melvin, who is relentlessly teased and abused by his peers. Until one day he falls out of a building and into a drum of toxic waste which transforms him into a hideous mutant with superhuman size and incredible strength.
With nonstop crime and pollution ravaging his city, Toxie decides to exact revenge on the Gang, the Evil Mayor and the bullies who are responsible for the way he is. But don't worry! His blind girlfriend and his mum are there for him.
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds is a war movie during World War II. It stars Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent, August Diehl, Julie Dreyfus, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Denis Ménochet, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor and Martin Wuttke. Inglorious Basterds was released in the year 2009.
Inglorious Basterds follows two parallel plots to assassinate key Nazi leaders at the premiere of a Nazi film. The first plot follows Jewish woman who escapes the massacre that killed her family, Shosanna Dreyfus, and is plotting her revenge. While the second plot follows Lt. Aldo Raine and his Squad of Nazi killing soldiers. If you like watching Nazis get killed this is definitely the movie for you!
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