Top 20 Best Revenge Movies of All Time
#20: “Gangs of New York” (2002)
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Martin Scorsese had high ambitions with “Gangs of New York,” an epic historical drama that spans nearly three hours. The movie touches on the history of 19th century New York while also telling an intense revenge story. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Amsterdam Vallon, the son of a man killed by Bill the Butcher. Bill is a psychotic gang leader who runs the Five Points area with a violent and authoritarian edge. Scorsese’s epic is filled with fantastic period detail, but it really shines when focusing squarely on the Bill and Amsterdam feud. Bill is arguably one of the greatest movie villains of the 21st century, and Daniel Day-Lewis is typically exceptional in the role.
#19: “The Last House on the Left” (1972)
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“The Last House on the Left” has long been regarded as one of cinema’s nastiest creations. Its entire first half is focused squarely on protagonists Mari and Phyllis. Unfortunately, the criminals slay them both. After the villains commit their crimes, they inadvertently find themselves at Mari’s house while looking for a place to crash. After some quick detective work, Mari’s parents realize that they are harboring the people who slayed their daughter. The duo immediately gets to work enacting bloody revenge. It’s certainly not a movie for the squeamish, and it can be a little too brutal for some. However, it is still a defining and influential entry in the horror genre that introduced the genius of Wes Craven to the masses.
#18: “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982)
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While revenge movies typically have a hero giving villains their long-awaited comeuppance, some movies flip the concept on its head and have the antagonist looking for payback. As the title suggests, “The Wrath of Khan” is all about Khan’s, uh, wrath. The story picks up after the episode “Space Seed,” which saw him and a few of his loved ones get sent to a planet Ceti Alpha Captain Kirk. But after a disaster wrecks the planet and he loses his wife, Khan seeks revenge. He executes his quest in what’s widely regarded as the best “Star Trek” movie. It features good action, strong character writing, and an electrifying performance from Ricardo Montalbán as Khan. His drive makes him one of the greatest sci-fi villains.
#17: “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)
Back in 1979, Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical walked away with eight Tonys after offering up a troubling and incredibly macabre story about a barber who cuts a lot more than hair. Nearly thirty years later, Tim Burton adapted the musical for the screen and retained every single element that made it so legendary. Johnny Depp received an Oscar nomination for playing Sweeney Todd, a man who lost his wife at the hands of the corrupt Judge Turpin. Alan Rickman’s Turpin is just one of many brilliant supporting roles. And the movie’s period detail is simply exquisite. There’s simply no other musical as bloody and full of vengeance as “Sweeney Todd” is
#16: “Revenge” (2017)
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Well, you certainly know what you’re getting with the title.. A socialite named Jen travels to the secluded mansion of her married boyfriend Richard. But she's soon mistreated by her partner and his two hunting buddies. After she’s left for dead in the middle of the desert, she decides to take…well, you’ve seen the title. The thriller was widely praised amongst moviegoers. Many took note of its topicality in the midst of the #MeToo movement and found much to love in its subversion of the well-worn genre. The filmmaking was also lauded, with the exploitation-style violence and cinematography making for an unflinching and visceral narrative. Matilda Lutz’s lead performance also earned considerable admiration as she sought vengeance.
#15: “The Northman” (2022)
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After director Robert Eggers built himself a solid reputation following strong movies like “The Lighthouse”, hype was quite high for “The Northman.” Here he was working within a more mainstream framework to tell a revenge story centered around vikings. Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, a viking prince who seeks revenge against his uncle Fjölnir. Eggers’s distinctive mark is felt in a film with a very dark and nihilistic atmosphere. And the astounding visuals help present the movie as some type of surreal viking myth. This makes sense, considering the story is based on a real Scandinavian legend. “The Northman” is a revenge epic with Eggers’s unmistakable personality, and it is excellent.
#14: “Blue Ruin” (2013)
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Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier successfully crafted a smart subversion of the typical revenge thriller. Once Dwight Evans learns that his parents’ killer is getting out of prison, he travels to Virginia to seek revenge. To say more would spoil an excellently told story with many fascinating twists and turns. Suffice to say, things aren’t as simple as they appear. Dwight is presented as an atypical and antiheroic character. So, the movie depicts revenge through a more authentic filter than many other films of its kind. “Blue Ruin” feels more like an anti-revenge thriller. Along the way, it deconstructs the genre and presents payback as a bloody and destructive concept that should be feared.
#13: “Memento” (2000)
Christopher’s Nolan’s major directorial debut showed everyone how to tell a revenge story in a wonderfully unique way. A man with memory issues named Leonard wants to get back at those who hurt him and his wife. His journey is told through two alternating storylines, one of which is told in chronological order and one which is told in reverse. What stops this from being a confusing mess is artful direction and Leonard’s clear drive to figure out who wronged him and his wife. Fortunately, everything comes together in a brilliant ending. Nolan made the revenge thriller unique again thanks to some genius filmmaking, a challenging structure, and some great twists.
#12: “Mandy” (2018)
Few vengeful thrillers are as beautiful as “Mandy.” Nicolas Cage stars as Red, a logger who witnesses the death of his girlfriend, Mandy at the hands of deranged cult leader Jeremiah Sand. Mandy was killed at the hands of Jeremiah Sand, the depraved leader of a local cult. What follows is pure cinematic excess. “Mandy” is incredibly stylish thanks to a brilliant score from Jóhann Jóhannsson and some remarkable cinematography by Benjamin Loeb. And any movie that features a chainsaw fight along the way deserves everyone’s attention. “Mandy” deftly blends insane violence, striking beauty, and genuine emotion into one extremely metal package.
#11: “True Grit” (2010)
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After the original “True Grit” with John Wayne became a classic, the Coen brothers made a fantastic remake for a new generation. In both versions of the story, the young Mattie Ross hires Rooster Cogburn to help her find the man who killed her father. It’s not really the revenge itself that proves important in this story, but the familial bond that develops between the heroes. Their interactions are both emotionally touching and hilarious. It also helps that Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon give such exceptional performances. The movie is also flawlessly made by the Coen brothers and their team of filmmakers. Receiving ten Oscar nominations, “True Grit” is one of the finest tales of payback of the modern era.
#10: “Unforgiven” (1992)
Perhaps the greatest Revisionist Western ever made, “Unforgiven” deconstructs many tropes of the popular genre. It tells a double revenge tale, and both are equally horrifying. The first involves the ladies of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. They put a bounty on a man for slicing one of their faces. The other plot involves protagonist William Munny, who famously seeks revenge in the climax of the movie for the death of an old friend. Unlike other Westerns, “Unforgiven” blurs the lines between good guys and villains. It fully presents violence as the morally-compromising force that it is. “Unforgiven” isn’t about fun duels and horse chases. It’s a nihilistic and unforgettable movie that presents the Wild West as a brutal place to be.
#9: “The Crow” (1994)
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This moody and supernatural superhero story centers around Brandon Lee’s Eric Draven. After a gang slays him and his fiancée, Eric is resurrected as The Crow to claim his vengeance. The movie is steeped in literal and figurative darkness. Its gorgeous style is created through some brilliant production design and cinematography. And not only is the plot truly moving at times, but The Crow’s ability to make his targets feel the pain of their victims is extremely poetic. The late and great Brandon Lee absolutely commanded the screen as the title character. He absolutely shines in a bleak and rewarding revenge story.
#8: “Promising Young Woman” (2020)
This film from Emerald Fennell makes for a gripping and at times difficult watch. Carey Mulligan gives a mesmerizing performance as Cassie Thomas, a smart underachiever who is suffering from post-traumatic stress. Her friend Nina took her own life after being mistreated in college. We follow Cassie as she seeks revenge against those responsible. While Fennell’s challenging screenplay took home the Oscar, Mulligan also earned herself a nomination. “Promising Young Woman” has a lot of topical things to say about predatory behavior, institutions, and mental health. Its deep messages make it stand tall as one of the best examples of what the genre is capable of.
#7: “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968)
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Sergio Leone is a master of the Spaghetti Western, and “Once Upon a Time in the West” is arguably his masterpiece. This epic story spans many different characters, locations, and subplots. One storyline involves a man known only as Harmonica who is seeking revenge against the criminal who killed his older brother. The haunting story of his vengeance is told with the help of expert filmmaking. A combination of expansive cinematography and an absolutely fantastic score perfectly capture the mood and look of this dark tale. To top it all off, the performances are also uniformly excellent. The charming Henry Fonda even plays against type as the villain. Westerns don’t get much better or more meaningful than this.
#6: “The Count of Monte Cristo” (2002)
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When the filmmakers took creative liberties with Alexandre Dumas’s iconic novel, they gave the world a spectacular adventure film. Jim Caviezel stars as Edmond Dantès, a man who is framed for a crime and falsely imprisoned. When he is eventually freed, Edmond seeks revenge on those responsible. The classic story captures all the spirit of its source material while adding great touches of its own. Throughout its runtime, viewers get great performances, gorgeous visuals of Malta, and some wonderful period detail. And whether you’re familiar or unfamiliar with the original story, you’re in for a few memorable twists. The 2002 film is a great example of how to adapt a classic tale of vengeance for the screen.
#5: “Inglourious Basterds” (2009)
Quentin Tarantino wasn’t afraid to change history in this revisionist tale. “Inglourious Basterds” follows both the titular group and a French woman named Shosanna. While she aims to kill the Nazi responsible for her family’s slaughter, the rest of the crew want to punish as many as possible. Tarantino’s screenplay and direction blend historical tragedy and comedy extremely well. However, this movie arguably belongs to Christoph Waltz. His Nazi character Hans Landa is easily one of the greatest movie villains ever conceived. Waltz took home the Oscar for his devilish performance. While his actor celebrated, his Hans Landa character got his just desserts as this satisfying story of vengeance came to an end.
#4: “John Wick” (2014)
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After Keanu Reeves made Neo an essential pop culture character, he created another cinematic icon in 2014. That year, the actor debuted as an extremely skilled ex-hitman named John Wick. He famously comes out of retirement after local gangsters steal his car and slay his new best friend. This revenge tale resonated so well with audiences because of how well made it is. The movie is full of gorgeous shots, the characters are all charismatic and the story fleshes out a cool underground world of assassins. But most importantly, the action sequences are absolutely breathtaking. They feature minimal editing and get ridiculously creative. Fortunately, “John Wick’s” success spawned a franchise where Keanu Reeves keeps killing it while his character gets revenge.
#3: “Oldboy” (2003)
Park Chan-wook’s thriller is filled to the brim with themes of vengeance and characters seeking payback. Oh Dae-su desires revenge after being imprisoned for nearly twenty years for reasons he’s desperate to figure out. His adventure takes him down a very dark path of violence and depravity. By the end of his journey he discovers a horrifying truth that makes him regret ever seeking answers. While we won’t spoil the final twist for those who haven't seen this excellent thriller, we can still praise the pitch perfect performances and intriguing mystery. It also features one of the greatest one take action sequences of all time. “Oldboy” is an impeccably well crafted thriller whose ending will always stay with you.
#2: “Gladiator” (2000)
“Gladiator” centers around a Roman named Maximus who seeks vengeance against an Emperor who had his family killed. But if he wants to strike back at the powerful man that wronged him, he’ll need to continuously fight for his life. The visuals are astounding throughout and help bring Ancient Rome to life in modern times. At the same time, the gladiatorial action sequences are heart-pounding and suitably grotesque. The movie also mines great emotional heft from its story, using revenge to explore universal concepts like love and evil. After one viewing, it’s easy to understand why “Gladiator” won 5 Academy Awards, including a best actor nod for Russell Crowe. He stars in a revenge story that’s epic in every sense of the word.
#1: “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003) & “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004)
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Since Tarantino originally intended “Kill Bill” to be one movie, we’re including both entries in the top spot. The bloody story is set into motion when Bill and his assassins slay Beatrix’s husband and nearly take her life. After she wakes up from a coma, she refuses to stop until everyone who betrayed her gets what’s coming to them. The stylish tale manages to incorporate martial arts, swordplay and beautiful stunt work. But the flashy action never gets in the way of the core story. Uma Thurman beautifully explores every aspect of Beatrix, including her character’s complex relationship with Bill. Thanks to excellent character work, a variety of great action and tons of style, the “Kill Bill” saga is arguably cinema’s greatest revenge story.
