Catharsis, satisfaction, schadenfreude… There are a lot of words to describe the feeling people get when bad things happen to bad people. The number of descriptors for this feeling is an indication of how much people love a story of justice and revenge, and it certainly explains how many films there are based on the subject.
While revenge dominates mainstream cinema (seeKill Bill vol. 1,vol. 2andJohn Wick) there is an endless number of revenge films that don’t get enough love. Cinema’s most versatile theme appears on this list in the form of over-the-top actions, meditative thrillers, blood-thirsty exploitations and more.
10’No One Lives' (2012)
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
A couple on a road trip make a stop in a small town. While eating at a local restaurant, they’re approached by a group of unsavory characters, led by local tough guy Hoag (Lee Tergesen). Believing the couple to be wealthy, the group kidnap them and attempt a robbery. Unfortunately, the woman Betty (Laura Ramsey) dies in the process, and the unnamed man (Luke Evans) is much more dangerous than he appears.
If the title isn’t enough to convince viewers thatNo One Livesis a ridiculously good time, then the bombastic plot twists and kill scenes certainly will be. The 2012 film is far from a masterpiece, but a brooding and charismatic lead performance from Luke Evans givesNo One Livesthe extra boost it needs to become a fun and bloody midnight movie.
No One Lives
9’Why Don’t You Just Die?' (2018)
Directed by Kirill Sokolov
Olya (Evgeniya Kregzhde) is at home with her father, Andrey (Vitaliy Khaev) and mother (Elena Shevchenko), when her boyfriend, Matvey (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) stops by to visit. Things go south quickly, when Matvey launches a vicious attack against Andrey. Unfortunately for Matvey, Andrey is a police officer and is more than capable of defending himself. As the brutal fight between the two men continues throughout the small apartment, the motives of everyone involved become more clear.
Making an action film this savage isn’t easy, but doing it with only a few actors inside one location feels near impossible. This achievement, along with a surprisingly sophisticated and twisty plot, makeWhy Don’t You Just Die?essential viewing for lovers of action revenge films.
8’Headhunters' (2011)
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Roger (Aksel Hennie) is Norway’s most successful headhunter. But the status and success he garners from his work isn’t enough. To get an extra thrill, and some extra cash, Roger also has a side hustle as an art thief. His latest mark is Clas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a tech executive with a desirable art collection. Unfortunately for Roger, Clas used to work as a highly-skilled special-forces operative.
A nearly comical cat and mouse game of revenge is elevated by a dry Scandinavian sensibility inHeadhunters. Tales of arrogant people getting their comeuppance have been a focal point of storytelling since Icarus flew too close to the sun. It may not be gracious to admit, but seeing someone fall off their high-horse is quite satisfying, and that satisfaction is deliciously rendered inHeadhunters.
Headhunters
7’In Order of Disappearance' (2014)
Directed by Hans Petter Moland
Nils (Stellan Skarsgård) is a snowplow driver, and beloved member of his small Norwegian town. Shortly after being named citizen of the year, his son is found dead from a drug overdose. Nils insists the cause of death must be wrong, but the police dismiss his concerns. When Nils learns that his son’s death was the result of gang violence, he begins a one-man quest for revenge.
If the plot ofIn Order of Disappearancesounds familiar, that’s likely because it was remade in English withLiam Neesonin the lead. WhileCold Pursuitis far better than the average remake, there’s something about the Scandinavian dryness ofIn Order of Disappearancethat makes it extra-satisfying as a revenge story. In addition to the Scandi attitude, seeing Stellan Skarsgård kick ass and take names will simply never get old.
In Order of Disappearance
Directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado
A cop who has been burned by the system (Lior Ashkenazi) and a father who has been traumatized by loss (Tzahi Grad) cross paths and realize they have a mutual interest. This leads the pair to kidnap a school teacher (Rotem Keinan) who was accused of murder but subsequently released. With the teacher confined in a dark basement, he is questioned about his suspected crimes.
Big Bad Wolvesexplores a hypothetical that many people have pondered over the years.‘What would you do it it was your child… your case to investigate…‘Who knew that the answers to such hypotheticals would be so savage and so darkly comedic? AlthoughBig Bad Wolvesrequires a strong stomach, the Israeli film is slick, confronting and enthralling.
Big Bad Wolves
5’Hard Candy’ (2005)
Directed by David Slade
After an extremely flirty online conversation, 14-year-old Hayley (Elliot Page) and 32-year-old Jeff (Patrick Wilson) meet up. The pair get coffee before going back to Jeff’s house, where he offers to make them drinks. As their interactions get more intimate, it becomes more difficult to determine who is the predator and who is the prey.
Dark, uncomfortable and magnetic -Hard Candyis a taut two-hander, and would make quite the double feature withBig Bad Wolves. Despite being only 17 at the time of filming,Elliot Page’s performance is naive and sophisticatedin equal measure. Meanwhile, Patrick Wilson’s almosttoo-goodlooks muddy the waters of audience expectations of what a predator should look like. The combination of these performances results in a revenge-driven tête-à-tête that asks as many questions as it answers.
Hard Candy
4’Monkey Man’ (2024)
Directed by Dev Patel
After a brutal and violent childhood, Kid (Dev Patel) works in an underground fighting ring as a heel who gets paid to take losses. After a brutal fight, Kid sets about meeting Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar), a wealthy madam who runs a brothel and drug den behind the façade of a social club. Kid parlays the meeting into a job offer, and uses his position within the club to orchestrate revenge.
Dev Patel didn’t hold back in his directorial debut.Monkey Manis stylish, confident and imbued with themes and stories that are clearly important to Patel (who also starred and co-wrote the screenplay). The revenge story, which is of David and Goliath proportions, is propelled by frenetic cinematography, energetic editing and ferocious action scenes. Patel’s interest in stylish storytelling with substance bodes well for the multi-hyphenate’s sophomore outing, whatever that may be.
Monkey Man
3’Blue Ruin' (2013)
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier
Dwight (Macon Blair) is down on his luck and living out of his car in Delaware. He scavenges for what he can but has little in the way of money or resources. When Dwight learns that the man who murdered his parents 20 years earlier is getting out of jail, he hits the road and begins tracking the killer down.
Despite what the average action movie suggests, seeking out revenge is actually a lot more difficult than it looks. This hard truth is rendered on screen inBlue Ruin, the debut feature fromGreen RoomdirectorJeremy Saulnier. While the low-budget crowdfunded film is a bit rough around the edges, it is utterly captivating in its portrayal of a man with nothing left other than his hatred.
2’Brawl in Cell Block 99' (2017)
Directed by S. Craig Zahler
Former thug, Bradley (Vince Vaughn) is trying to go straight. But after being laid off from his job at an auto body repair shop, he returns to a life of crime. Bradley takes on work as a drug mule, and after about a year, he’s in the good books with his boss. However, when a job goes wrong and Bradley refuses to snitch, he’s sent to prison.
Most modern exploitation filmmaking leans heavily into a knowing tongue-in-cheek tone.S. Craig Zahlercouldn’t be less interested in such expressions. The director’s filmography consists of stern and straight-faced exploitation films that prove the genre isn’t mutually exclusive with sophistication and thematic resonance. Much like exploitation filmmaking in general,Brawl in Cell Block 99is sickeningly violent and cruel. While the 2017 film won’t be for everyone, the skill and voice present behind the ultra-violence is undeniable. The cherry on top ofBrawl in Cell Block 99isVaughn’s performance, which will surely go down as the most ‘against-type’ casting of its era.
Brawl in Cell Block 99
1’Sisu' (2022)
Directed by Jalmari Helander
It’s late 1944 and the Lapland War is raging. Aatami (Jorma Tommila) lives off the grid with his horse and dog in the Lapland wilderness and searches for gold. After finding a rich gold deposit, Aatami heads towards the capital city. While traveling, Aatami crosses paths with some retreating Nazis who are taking a scorched-earth approach to their retreat.
Watching Nazis be systematically murdered on screen will simply never get old. Add in a compelling story, a sympathetic protagonist and an adorable dog and the resulting film is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. For those seeking out elegant and quiet storytelling that is dominated by violence and visuals,Sisuis the film you’ve been looking for. This WWII-eraJohn Wick-esque revenge film is tight, brutal andoh so satisfying.
