(Probably not the ultimate revenge movie.)
I’ve spent the past few months chipping away at a few screenplays. One script — a supernatural balls-to-the-wall actioner with a magma-hot hook — is presently getting a polish by me and a co-writer (whose name I cannot yet divulge). Another screenplay started with a very strong concept, but competing obligations prevented another co-writer from dedicating appropriate creative bandwidth to the project. It’s on ice for the time being.
Which happily frees my queue to pursue a third story, which I’ve been noodling on for nearly a year. The hook of this script prominently features themes with which 7th Son and Personal Effects fans are familiar: identity, sanity, and sanctity (both of the human body and mind). It also levels both barrels at many consumption- and brand-obsessed First World cultures.
I dare not share more about the concept, other than to say that this “near future” world I’ve created is one you’ve never seen, and the culture specifically will make your head spin like a top. Spin in a That’s some cool shit kind of way.
I believe the very best sci-fi stories resonate because they successfully incorporate subgenres into their tales. Blade Runner’s noir elements help make that unfamiliar world more accessible to a viewer. Consider Serenity’s Western elements; they help deliver similar results. I contend that using mainstream-friendly subgenres helps make sci-fi feel palatable to wider audiences. It helps the story feel less sci-fi-ish, which I believe is a good thing.
I’ve been thinking hard about which subgenre to inject into my latest story … and today, I turned my wicked eye toward the revenge movie. I love revenge flicks, as a third act filled with whup-ass is guaranteed. In addition, the subgenre plays nice with the loose outline I created for this story.
Unforgiven is my personal favorite revenge flick, but I knew I needed more reference material for creative inspiration. So I turned to YOU on Twitter and Facebook and asked:
What’s the *very best* revenge movie you’ve seen? You can only pick one. Go!
And you sure as hell did. Here are your recommendations. There are some hella great flicks here. Fill up that Netflix queue, peeps.
- Wes Platt recommends: El Mariachi
- Tanya N. Kutasz: The Italian Job (the remake)
- DC Perry, Brand Gamblin, Tony Southcotte, Jessika Oxford: Oldboy
- Jared Axelrod: The Limey
- Ted Wade, Adam Lefever, Ted Wade, Michelle Ristuccia: The Count of Monte Cristo
- Tony Mast: Braveheart
- Kevin Smokler: 9 to 5
- Zach Ricks: Man on Fire
- Scott Roche, Vivid Muse: Leon – The Professional
- Johnny Ho, Jane Doh, Eliza Sea: Lady Vengeance
- Tee Morris, Amber: The Sting
- Neil Colquhoun: Jaws
- C.C. Chapman: Hard Candy
- Mary Rajotte: Heathers
- Allen Sale: Theater of Blood
- Seth, Karl Schild: Payback
- Christiana Ellis, Duncan, Michael Falkner, Matthew Wayne Selznick, Tim Adamec: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
- Martyn Casserly, Edward G. Talbot, Leandro Pezzente: The Princess Bride
- Trisha Leigh: Lucky Number Slevin
- Richard Green, Avery Tingle, Aaron Baldwin, Void Munashii: Kill Bill
- Stuart Robertson, Billy Flynn: The Crow
- Clinton: Aliens
- Thomas Janci: Revenger’s Tragedy
- Douglas Hagler: Ransom
- Josh Rosenfield: The Prestige
- Adam Loyal: Dirty Work
- J.R. Blackwell: Titus
- James Auger: Memento
- Gary Giovanetti: Death Race (the remake)
- Robert Smith: Mad Max
- Howard Dinatale: Get Carter (the original)
- Dave Minkus: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Gregory Gunther: Taken
- Carlene Worthington: Repo
I’ve seen a lot of these … and there’s a lot I haven’t seen, or even heard of. The Count of Monte Cristo is absolutely the quintessential revenge story (I loved reading it way back in high school, and should revisit it), and the countless recommendations for Oldboy have my curiosity majorly piqued. Thanks to everyone who recommended their favorites.
I hope you’ll check out some of these cool revenge flicks too. And if you’d like to recommend your ULTIMATE revenge flick pick, sound off in the comments!
–J.C.
There are quite a few on this list that I haven’t seen either. I better get busy! War of the Roses is not on the list. That’s a classic.
Oldboy is an incredible revenge flick, and one of the few foreign movies where I actually liked the dubbing. It is a different level of fucked up, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Yay! I’m not the only person who has seen Lady Vengeance!
I second ‘Old Boy’. iirc it is part of a trilogy but I haven’t seen the other movies.
I second “Hard Candy”. It was the film I immediately thought of when I saw the title of this blog entry. Absolutely superb acting by Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson make an incredibly tense and layered story.
I’d contend “Six-String Samurai” should count, although you need to fill in a lot of the blanks yourself.
Kinda bummed not to see Hang ‘Em High on the list.
The Exterminator, 1980, starring Robert Ginty. Low-budget and grimy, the revenge in this movie is very satisfying. According to Wikipedia it will get a blu-ray release this year!
Sympathy for Lady Vengence – Korean movie about a woman who took the rap for killing a child. That movie was 5x more hard than Oldboy.
Another good one, a Thai flick called “Tom Yum Kung” (The Protector is the English Title) about a Muay Thai fighter who goes to get revenge on the criminals who stole his elephant. You never mess with this guy’s elephant.
Three revenge flicks come to my mind that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Brave One with Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard. Death Sentence with Kevin Bacon, and Extremities with Farrah Fawcett.
Buried Alive (1990), a TV movie written by Frank Darabont, and stars Tim Matheson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and William Atherton. Leigh’s bad girl and Atherton- who routinely plays douchebags with such gusto- really make the film work.
Surprised to see High Plains Drifter not on the list or in the comments.
It definitely should be in the top 5.
I would definitely check out Oldboy, if you haven’t already. Highly recommend it.
What, not Braveheart? Kill my lover will you, well, I’ll just free a country, impregnate your daughter-in-law and topple your monarchy.
I had never thought of Braveheart as a revenge story, but you are right. By the same thinking, Conan the Barbarian is also a revenge story. While I am thinking about Mel Gibson (why have you made me think about Mel Gibson, Karl!), is the original Mad Max a revenge story, too?
a movie that is not on this list “i spit on your grave” that has to be the ultimate revenge movie.its about a woman who gets her revenge after being brutally raped and beaten by 5 men.some of the scenes are so graphic you cant help but cringe.
Some notable revenge flicks…
Alexandra’s Project and Seven Days
I know i am johnny come lately but one revenge flick i would add to the list was Paparazzi (2004).
A rising Hollywood actor decides to take personal revenge against a group of four persistent photographers to make them pay for almost causing a personal tragedy involving his wife and son.
Cole Hauser stared in the movie did a good job making me think this could happen easily to an up and coming actor.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338325/
I’d say Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most vengeful revenge movies!
Of course, unlike Kill Bill, it´s not as gruesome. But they all get a part on the revenge making, which is cool.