Some completely missed the mark
Movies that feature revenge as a theme are often some of the most engaging forms of storytelling cinema has to offer. If the story is personal for the main character, it makes it personal for the viewer. Whatever choices are made, most revenge movies are satisfying because of their simplicity. Usually action driven, they tend to start with a person on a mission, and it will often end well for them. And this leaves us all intrigued.
From the 'John Wick' franchise to 'Kill Bill,' let's discover some of the best revenge movies in cinematic history. Click on for more.
Taking the Bride’s quest for vengeance to unexpected places, the 'Kill Bill' movies are some of the best revenge plots in cinematic history.
This Quentin Tarantino film tells the story of two plots to assassinate Nazi Germany's leadership. One is planned by Shosanna Dreyfus, a young Jewish-French cinema proprietor, and the other by the British. But it's ultimately conducted solely by a team of Jewish-American soldiers. It's truly epic!
Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton, this classic comedy tells the story of three working women who get even and overthrow their autocratic, sexist, and lying boss.
The film that started a franchise stars Mel Gibson as a vengeful Australian policeman who hunts down the murderers of his wife and child.
Directed by Brian De Palma and based on the Stephen King novel, 'Carrie' follows a shy girl who unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at prom. The ultimate revenge!
Ridley Scott directed Russell Crowe to a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
In this critically-acclaimed film, the disappearance of Nick's wife, Amy, immediately points to him, only for an increasingly complex and twisted truth to emerge between these spouses.
The film that won Leonardo DiCaprio his Best Actor Oscar, 'The Revenant' is a tense and violent film that ends up being both about revenge and survival.
In one of the most memorable revenge stories on screen, watch as the noble Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) searches for the man who killed his father.
Starring Mel Gibson, the actor portrays William Wallace, the 13th-century Scottish warrior who led his countrymen in a rebellion to free their homeland from King Edward I of England.
Another great Tarantino revenge movie, 'Django Unchained' follows a freed slave, who with the help of a German bounty hunter, sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.
In this political action revenge film, starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman, a freedom fighter known as "V" goes on a killing streak to dismantle the British tyrannical government.
A remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film, 'Ocean’s Eleven' follows friends Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan, who plan a heist of US$160 million from casino owner Terry Benedict, the lover of Ocean's ex-wife Tess.
Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film follows an intriguing premise of a man who after being kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
The plot unfolds on the night of Halloween, when a brutally murdered man comes back to life, only to avenge his and his fiancée's murder.
In this gripping action film, Denzel Washington plays a former intelligence agent who's compelled to take a stand against the Russian mafia after a teenage prostitute is assaulted.
In the first 'John Wick' film, Keanu Reeves introduced us to the former assassin who only wanted to grow old with his wife. But when she dies of cancer, she leaves behind a beagle puppy, who is then murdered by a group of thugs. Wick then leaves a path of destruction in the search for their boss.
Starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, Stanwyck plays a beautiful con artist who jeopardizes her scheme when she accidentally falls in love with her target, played by Fonda. She then decides to trick him again after he discovers her real intentions.
This Western epic, directed by Sergio Leone, tells the story of a mysterious stranger who joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin. It's truly one of the greatest revenge films of all time.
In the second film in the 'Star Trek' series, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.
An adaptation of the 1844 novel of the same name, the film follows a young man, falsely imprisoned by his jealous friend, who then escapes to exact his revenge.
This Wes Craven film tells the story of two teenage girls who are dragged into the woods and tortured. The perpetrators then accidentally visit the home of one of their parents, who discover their crimes and go after revenge.
In this critically-acclaimed Western, Clint Eastwood portrays a retired, aging outlaw who's brought back into the fold to help a young man seek revenge on the cowboys responsible for disfiguring a prostitute.
This unforgettable film centers around two parents whose life erupts in violence after their son falls into a relationship with a divorced older woman. Her ex-husband then appears, causing a lot of problems for the family.
Robert Redford and Paul Newman are reunited as two grifters who team up to pay back the mob boss who killed their mentor. And like many great con artist stories, you’re not sure who you’re rooting for by the end of the film!
Starring Charles Bronson, the actor plays an architect who becomes a vigilante after his wife and daughter are attacked during a home invasion, with his wife dying from her wounds.
Starring Terence Stamp, he plays an extremely dangerous Englishman who goes to LA to find the man responsible for his daughter's death.
Directed by John Flynn, this film is about a recently-returned Vietnam veteran who loses his family and his right hand during a violent home invasion. He seeks revenge against those responsible.
This French film directed by François Truffaut is based on the novel of the same name by William Irish. It's about a deranged widow who murders the man who accidentally shot her husband on her wedding day, as well as his four friends. She wears only white, black, or a combination of the two.
The best revenge movies of all time
Revenge isn't always sweet...
MOVIES Cinema
Movies that feature revenge as a theme are often some of the most engaging forms of storytelling cinema has to offer. If the story is personal for the main character, it makes it personal for the viewer. Whatever choices are made, most revenge movies are satisfying because of their simplicity. Usually action driven, they tend to start with a person on a mission, and it will often end well for them. And this leaves us all intrigued.
From the 'John Wick' franchise to 'Kill Bill,' let's discover some of the best revenge movies in cinematic history. Click on for more.