Top 10 Most Over the Top Acts of Revenge in Movies
#10: A Heated Performance
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“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) This Tarantino film follows a group of soldiers, most of whom are Jewish, who devise a plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler and other Nazis attending a propaganda movie premiere. They aren’t the only ones, though. Shosanna Dreyfus, the woman running the theater, also wants revenge. She’s herself edited into the final cut of the movie, where she declares that the audience will all die. Sure enough, that’s what happens. The theater’s set ablaze, Hitler is gunned down by the Basterds, and the other Nazis perish in a fiery mix of flames and bullets. Oh, and all while, the recording of Shosanna laughs in the background. It’s gruesome, but ultimately so satisfying.
#9: Seeking Retribution as the Crow
“The Crow” (1994) When Eric Draven and his fiancée Shelly are murdered, a mystical crow revives him. Now superpowered, Eric has one goal: make the killers pay. While everyone gets their comeuppance, Eric saves the best punishment for last. He meets the one responsible for it all, a drug lord named Top Dollar. They sword fight on the roof of a giant church all while rain comes pouring down. Eric wins when he forces Top Dollar to experience the thirty hours of agony that Shelly endured in the hospital, all in a few seconds. Top Dollar’s stock then plummets when he slips, getting impaled by a gargoyle statue.
#8: Justice for Nina
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“Promising Young Woman” (2020) After Cassie Thomas’s best friend Nina was assaulted, she took her own life. Years later, Cassie decides to get revenge against everyone she believed failed Nina. What follows is an elaborate series of mind games and tricks against lawyers, school deans, and eventually the perpetrator Al Monroe. When Al saves himself from being Cassie’s hostage, he kills her in the struggle. But even her own death isn’t enough to stop her. The ending is a serious testament to Cassie’s persistence. It’s eventually revealed that Cassie arranged several key pieces of evidence to release after her death, all conclusively linking Al to Nina’s assault. Talk about an act from beyond the grave.
#7: Keep the Change
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“X-Men: First Class” (2011) Before they were Professor X and Magneto, they were Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. “First Class” tells the story of how the two met and formed the first wave of X-Men. But masquerading underneath good intentions is Erik’s hunger for revenge against Sebastian Shaw, the mutant who killed Erik’s mother during the Holocaust. The X-Men stop Shaw using Charles’s telepathy, but with the former now frozen, Erik sees the perfect opportunity, leading to the movie’s tensest moment. Erik uses his powers of magnetism to send a coin through Shaw’s head. Shaw can’t move or speak, but he can experience all of the pain. Not only does Erik get a satisfying revenge, but he also takes Shaw’s helmet and repurposes it as his own.
#6: Building Up a Criminal Empire
“Skyfall” (2012) In Daniel Craig’s third outing, we’re introduced to one of the franchise’s best villains. The name’s Silva. Raoul Silva. Sorry, we had to give it a try. His MI6 career ended when M, the agency’s leader, ratted him out to the Chinese government for hacking them. They kept him as a prisoner for several months, fueling Silva’s hatred for M. When he resurfaces, he’s created a vast criminal empire. He puts MI6’s cybersecurity team to shame, captures Bond, and taunts M at every turn. Even though Bond eventually kills him, M still dies from injuries she sustained during one of Silva’s prior attacks. So in a way, Silva still gets what he wants.
#5: My Name Is Inigo Montoya
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“The Princess Bride” (1987) A fencer whose father was murdered, Inigo Montoya has made it his mission to exact vengeance. And eventually he does! It just takes a little while. Inigo, alongside Vizzini and Fezzik, are enlisted in an elaborate plot to capture Buttercup, the titular princess bride. Along the way, Inigo finally meets his father’s killer, Count Rugen. Inigo then declares that, well, you already know the rest. It’s an iconic scene, not only because of the lines, or because Rugen books it right away. But because of Inigo’s unwavering devotion to his revenge, even in the face of great injury.
#4: Framing Her Husband
“Gone Girl” (2014) After Amy discovers her husband Nick Dunne, a college professor, is having an affair with one of his students, Amy finds herself “done” with their marriage. She devises an intricate plan to fake her death and frame Nick as the murderer. We’re no experts on relationships, but this probably isn’t the best way to handle things. It’s definitely the most entertaining way, though! Her master plan has many moving parts, like writing a fake diary filled with entries about how she’s afraid Nick might want to kill her. Eventually, through all of the craziness that unfolds, she reveals she’s alive and finds her way back to Nick. It’s a happy ending, but only for Amy, as she regains her relationship through some incredibly manipulative tactics.
#3: Don’t Mess With Dogs
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“John Wick” (2014) Retired hitman John Wick just wants to put the past behind him. Is that so much to ask for? We guess so. Several thugs ransack his house. But it’s not the destruction of property, the trauma of a home burglary, or even the beating he endures that affects John. What really sets him off is when the burglars mess with his dog Daisy. That’s not just any dog, but the beagle his late wife left for him! Daisy’s death reignites John’s fury. He doesn’t just kill the thugs - he ends up on a path of revenge that would domino effect into multiple films. It’s an entire franchise that all started with avenging Daisy’s death. But we get it! You don’t mess with dogs. Period.
#2: Don’t Lose Your Head
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“Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003) “Kill Bill” follows the Bride, a former assassin who seeks revenge against Bill, the man who tried to kill her and her unborn child. Her quest sees her leaving behind a trail of carnage. Not only does she take out conspirator Elle’s one good eye, but she also eventually succeeds in killing the titular Bill. However, one of the most over-the-top acts of revenge comes when she kills O-Ren Ishii, another assassin and the first on her hitlist. They have a dramatic duel to the death amidst the snowy backdrop. It’s a pretty close fight, but the Bride wins when she takes what we can only describe as a little off the top. And no, we’re not talking about haircuts.
#1: Terrorizing the Prom
“Carrie” (1976) Calling this iconic is honestly an understatement. “Carrie” is about Carrie White, a teenager with telekinetic powers. Carrie is picked on regularly at school, but things appear to finally be looking up when she becomes Prom Queen! Unfortunately though, this is all just a cruel joke. As if the embarrassment wasn’t enough, a bucket of pig’s blood spills all over her. It’s enough to make anyone furious. But for Carrie, the humiliation renders her downright catatonic. She may be the one covered in blood, but that doesn’t stop her from drenching the rest of the school in a bloodbath. She continues to use her powers to lock the doors and lets all her years of frustration out on students and teachers alike.
