Top 10 Most Iconic Revenge Scenes in Movies
#10: The Escape Plan “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
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Andy Dufresne spends the bulk of “The Shawshank Redemption” enduring the horrors of prison, for crimes he claimed not to have committed. After a low point, the inmate disappears one night from his cell. It turns out that Dufresne has been digging a tunnel for years and planning an elaborate escape. Aside from making a daring trek outside the prison, the character also reveals the warden’s corrupt schemes to the authorities. He ultimately achieves freedom with a foolproof plot that brings him some extra money as well. If that isn’t enough, he also leaves clues for Morgan Freeman’s Red to join him in paradise.
#9: The Fiery Premiere “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)
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Quentin Tarantino chooses to end his WWII film “Inglourious Basterds” in a French movie theater. Hitler and other high-profile Nazis are in attendance, prompting theater owner Shosanna, whose family was wiped out by an SS officer, to trap them and light the place on fire. The Basterds unit also plans to blow the place up with explosives on the same night. This combination of revenge makes for an incendiary conclusion. Not only do flames cover the theater, but commandos burst into the set with weapons at the ready. The evil German leader receives special notice in a gruesome death scene. Tarantino spares no expense in bringing down the dictator and his inner circle, ending it all with a bang.
#8: A Visit from Dignam “The Departed” (2006)
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Matt Damon's character Colin Sullivan survives many close calls throughout the course of "The Departed." Sullivan might have blood on his hands, but he's still very much alive after betraying the authorities and his mob contacts. He returns home from the grocery store to find a surprise in the form of Mark Wahlberg's Staff Sergeant Dignam. The unlikely assassin readies his gun and takes aim before his target can explain himself. Dignam’s face says it all as he does the deed, seemingly without any remorse. He then leaves behind the traitor's corpse after a quick execution, showing that karma eventually comes for everyone.
#7: Burning the Bear “Midsommar” (2019)
Ari Aster's film "Midsommar" features many disturbing sequences regarding a cult in Scandinavia. American couple Dani and Christian end up being pitted against each other in a shocking end. After seeing him bed another woman in the cult, Dani views this supposed betrayal by Christian as the final straw in their relationship. She sends him off to be fitted into a bear skin and placed in a temple for sacrificial burning. As the flames engulf the structure, the May Queen goes through a world of emotions as she watches her ex burn. She begins to smile after enacting her revenge and seems to enjoy her new role within the cult.
#6: Planting Evidence “Do Revenge” (2022)
The teenagers at the center of “Do Revenge” first come together in a surprising moment of teamwork. Maya Hawke’s Eleanor informs popular girl Drea that the bratty Erica leaked a sensitive video of her. In a healthy dose of revenge, Drea, played to perfection by Camila Mendes, then decides to flip her enemy's life upside down. By planting drugs on Erica, Drea gets Sophie Turner's villain kicked out of camp in one of the film's most memorable sequences. When you’re handed all of that with a scene-stealing cameo appearance from the “Game of Thrones” star, there really isn’t much else you can ask for.
#5: Breaking Up “Get Out” (2017)
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Jordan Peele's modern horror classic builds to a stunning revelation about a creepy family. The hero Chris soon realizes that he's a target and manages to escape from the house, subduing his attackers along the way. He then ends up face-to-face with his evil girlfriend, Rose. After she is shot by their groundskeeper, Chris puts his hands around Rose’s neck, slowly squeezing the life out of the woman that lured him there in the first place. He stops just short of killing her and receives some last-minute help from his friend. Instead of getting his brain harvested, Chris makes it out alive and thwarts the Armitage family’s schemes.
#4: Amy’s Plot “Gone Girl” (2014)
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In the successful film adaptation of "Gone Girl," Amy Dunne disappears and leaves evidence suggesting her husband, Nick, is responsible. She does it all in order to get back at him for cheating on her. Amy goes to extreme lengths to make her partner look bad, meticulously revealing one piece of damning evidence after the other. Things turn deadly as Amy’s plan meets several obstacles, but she manages to play the victim well enough to outsmart everyone. After coming back home, the villainous character blackmails her husband into going along with all of it. It's arguably one of the more intricate and devilish revenge schemes in recent memory.
#3: The Prom “Carrie” (1976)
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For most of her prom, Carrie seems to be slowly coming out of her shell. This all comes to a screeching halt when a prank sends her off the deep end. She's covered in pig's blood and decides to retaliate against her tyrant classmates. Using her telekinetic powers, the titular character closes the doors and torments the attendees. Her supernatural abilities come out in a horrific scene of revenge that takes fighting back to a whole new level. Setting the gym ablaze and claiming multiple victims, the teenager ensures that nobody will ever mess with her again.
#2: Killing Bill “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004)
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Considering that it’s alluded to in the title, Bill’s death scene doesn’t come as much of a surprise in “Kill Bill: Volume 2.” This doesn’t mean that the climactic moment is any less entertaining. Uma Thurman’s assassin tracks down the titular villain, taking him out with the exquisite Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. Bill doesn’t get to do much other than accept his fate in his last seconds. David Carradine’s final look to his opponent really sells his dramatic defeat, making for the perfect cap to an engrossing series. The Bride justifiably earns her revenge in a true showcase of her determination.
#1: Inigo Montoya “The Princess Bride” (1987)
While he might not be the main hero of “The Princess Bride,” Inigo Montoya has one of the most compelling stories in the film. He spends the entire movie mentioning his quest to find the man that killed his father. When he finally confronts Count Tyrone Rugen, the Spanish fighter repeatedly says his credo in order to intimidate the villain. Montoya maintains his strength even after receiving several wounds and is able to retaliate for his father’s murder. Mandy Patinkin’s performance makes the moment all the more meaningful with his emotionally-charged delivery. His character’s final words to Rugen provide a cathartic climax to the epic revenge plot.
