The Top 10 Best Revenge Movies
Nothing Goes with Popcorn Better than Revenge Movies.
Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but revenge movies are best served bloody. For me, it’s all about watching people get what they deserve after brazen acts of violence and savagery. When the hero is thrown into the abyss and the abyss spits them out again because they’ve got unfinished business. There’s something relatable to a hero who has had enough and isn’t going to take it anymore. That’s why I’m honoring the best revenge movies by counting them down. The key though to a good revenge movie is to put their motives front and center. Not some side character with an ax to grind. Not a bloody rescue where the kidnappers get what they deserve. No, a good revenge movie is about the reaction to an act that can never be taken back. Most of the time that reaction is a bit excessive, but that’s what makes revenge oh so sweet. So, take a break from that list you’ve been crafting of everyone who’s wronged you and get ready to take a few notes on the subtle art of revenge because this list is packed full of films you won’t want to miss out on.
10. V for Vendetta
Sure there are revenge movies where people take down criminal organizations or vicious gangs of criminals, but what about taking down an entire country? One of the best comic book movies that doesn’t have a spandex-clad superhero, V for Vendetta tells the tale of a charming man who sets his sight on those who made him. Unfortunately, those people are now at the height of their power ruling a totalitarian United Kingdom. The odds are against V, but that doesn’t dissuade him in the slightest. His revenge is not a flash in the pan, not some bloody rampage. No, his is cold and calculated. The patience V shows setting up the dominos to fall is what makes his vengeance so terrifying. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s just so charismatic. Who says revenge movies only have to be brooding.
9. Leon: The Professional
Before you think that Leon is going to be the one to make this list, it’s Matilda who gets cold-blooded vengeance on those who wronged her. After a rogue DEA squad kills her scumbag family, young Matilda has nowhere to go until she’s taken in by one of the best assassins the silver screen has ever seen. Matilda’s plan isn’t the most calculated of all the revenge movies I’ve seen, but she definitely has her eye on the prize as she convinces Leon to teach her everything he knows about being a “cleaner.” There’s a slightly uncomfortable lolita aspect to the movie, but that just makes the characters all the more interesting and comes into play when Matilda’s initial plan goes sideways. Luckily for her, Leon has her back.
8. Memento
While V’s plan might have been cold, calculating, and built on a foundation of patience, Leonard doesn’t have that luxury. When his wife was murdered he suffered a traumatic brain injury that prevents him from creating short-term memories. Basically, it’s like walking into a room and not remembering why you’re there, except with everything and for the rest of your life. Despite his handicap, Leonard manages to piece together the mystery behind his wife’s death in one of the most awe-inspiring American revenge movies of all time. Told in reverse order, the audience gets to watch Leonard travel back to the beginning of his tale. If you think knowing the outcome might ruin the story, then you’ve obviously never heard that it’s about the journey, not the destination.
7. Cape Fear (1991)
Sometimes revenge movies aren’t about the hero. Cape Fear is the tale of a criminal who has his sights set on the lawyer who screwed the pooch when it came to his defense. For the sake of this list, I’m going to focus on the Martin Scorsese remake, because Robert DeNiro is creepy as hell in it. Of course, there’s also Nick Nolte who’s creepier in real life, but he manages to keep it together while filming. DeNiro is a rapist who does a 14-year stint in prison after Nolte hid a document from him that could have gotten him off. Honestly, I can’t blame Nolte for that, but DeNiro certainly does and he sets off to teach Nolte and his family a lesson. The sins of the father come back to haunt his wife and children and soon they’re fighting for their lives against this psychopaths rampage.
6. Once Upon a Time in the West
One of the great western revenge movies ever made surprisingly enough doesn’t star Clint Eastwood. Instead, it’s Charles Bronson as the gunslinger, Harmonica, who is out to get revenge on the cold-blooded killer who killed his family. The movie centers around the battle for a small town in the path of a railroad being constructed, but the hero of the film has other motives when it comes to standing up to the bad men who want to muscle in and profit off the land. It might seem like he’s got good intentions at first, but revenge movies are rarely ever about good intentions. No, they’re about people following their targets into hell. Filmed by Sergio Leone it’s one of the all-time great westerns and is well known for its incredible soundtrack, which pairs perfectly with bloody vengeance.