A list best served cold: Ranking the greatest revenge movies of all time
Vengeance is ours! But please don't come looking for us if Death Wish, John Wick, or Taken aren't high enough on our list for you
Film Features Revenge
Revenge. It’s one of the easiest character motivations to understand. And there’s no dirth of reasons why a big screen character would swear revenge; maybe their daughter was kidnapped (Taken), maybe they were double-crossed (Point Blank), maybe they were humiliated in school (Carrie), or maybe they are Inigo Montoya: “You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (Yeah, like you can’t name that movie!).
It’s no wonder that the genre built around sweet, sweet vengeance is one of the most enduring in cinema. Whether it’s a controversial exploitation piece like I Spit On Your Grave to a lighthearted comedy like 9 To 5, we empathize with the victim, we put ourselves in their place and we take satisfaction when they extract their revenge, the bloodier the better (unless you’re Dabney Coleman in 9 To 5, because then the punishment wouldn’t exactly fit the crime).
So with John Wick: Chapter 4 currently in theaters, here’s our ranking of the 23 greatest revenge movies ever made. And don’t get any ideas about that guy who cut you off on the highway yesterday. This list is for informational and viewing purposes only!
107 Comments
This list has a glaring lack of Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge.
I very strongly agree. It was so much better than I was expecting. And the title would seem to be perfect for this slideshow!
Rape revenge is a subgenre I actively avoid due to a) the rape and b) creepy directors who want you to get off on the rape, but I’m super glad I checked out Revenge. It’s smart and the violence is legit gnarly.
Yes, Revenge is really great and somehow manages to dodge the exploitation trap that rape/revenge movies fall into. It’s definitely no Death Wish 2 or whatever other movie where the director was clearly like YEAH LET”S GET HER NAKED AND DRAW THIS OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!!! YEAH!!!Ms. 45 is the other representative from that subgenre I found surprisingly effective without feeling too crass. Definitely less “fun,” though.
Agreed. The writer is clearly a novice, not a connoisseur of revenge films like the rarified company here.
This list is am ok jumping-off point, and like all such lists, is meant to drive argument, debate, clicks, traffic.
There are several glaring omissions:My favorite of all time is DEAD MAN’S SHOES (2004).
But other glaring ones:
SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION V FOR VENDETTAROAD TO PERDITIONBRAVEHEART would typically be listed as historical or war, but really it started as one man’s—and then a country’s —revenge. MAN ON FIREWe could go on and on, but why would we?
Now that I think about it, one of the great revenge movies is based on one of the great revenge plays – I’m talking, of course, about Olivier’s Hamlet, which is a great film despite the massive cuts he made to the play.
I initially thought of Shawshank, but I feels its more of a Man against the world straight up drama. While he does get revenge on the Warden, there is so much more going on. It’s more about not letting the negative aspect of your life force you to give up. Its such an uplifting story showing the power of friendship and not letting others define who or what you are.
Or “Lone Wolf & Cub” which served as inspiration for “Road to Perdition”, for that matter.
I would say that The Bride Wore Black belongs on this list if I thought that Matt Mills had ever heard of The Bride Wore Black. Also, despite the excellence of the final scene, due to Scorsese’s insistence on adding a layer of Catholic Guilt [tm] to the narrative and to his (and the scriptwriter’s) inability to finesse the advances in technology that made a lot of the “suspense” ridiculous, the remake of Cape Fear is nowhere near as good as the original.
Speaking of Scorsese, I feel Gangs of New York qualifies for this list. DiCaprio first seeks revenge for his father, then himself. Bill is pretty much entirely driven by righteous fury.
Ok, ,this has me absolutely laughing out loud. “The ever-quotable Inigo Montoya (Kevin Kline) is a cornerstone of director Rob Reiner’s classic adventure, out to avenge the death of his father at the hands of “the six-fingered man.” I never realized that was Kevin Kline, all these years thinking it was Mandy Patinkin that played Inigo has me questioning everything in my life.
THANK YOU for calling that out, that was bugging me so much! Mandy Patinkin still get asked to do his famous quote to this day.
I wonder if Kevin Kline ever gets asked to do it and he just says “WTF?”
You remind me of the time that Jimmy Cagney gave a speech in which he said, “I never said, ‘You dirty rat.’ What I said was, ‘Judy, Judy, Judy!’”
No, he said “it was beauty killed the beast.” It was Mickey Rooney that said “you dirty rat”, and Benny Hill said “Judy, Judy, Judy.”
It’s particularly funny since they make such a big thing of “c’mon everyone knows this movie” in the abstract.
I wonder if Kevin Kline realizes he was in “The Princess Bride”.
Came here for this. Lord. What a blunder.
I mean just holy living fuck. This is hardly some obscure film. I was a kid when it came out, and my kids and their friends know it inside and out.
Perhaps, you mean, you know it “In and Out” (also starring Kevin Kline).
I was coming here to comment EXCUSE ME BUT WHAT THE FUCK. Good lord, do they even proofread before hitting “post” anymore?
This site is a shell of the joke of the travesty it has become.
I mean, come on, Kevin Kline as Inigo Montoya is pretty hilarious, and I see that they have actually corrected the article now, but the original gaffe will live on in my quoted post.
Now we can only laugh at them spelling “dearth” d-i-r-t-h in the slideshow’s lead blurb.
So I guess they turn spell check off when they write these as well.
I love the original OldBoy, but think that Lady Vengeance was a bit better.
Keanu Reeves, Liam Neeson, and Charles Bronson were sitting in a dimly lit room, staring at their computer screens in frustration. They had been researching various movies and TV shows on the AVClub website for hours, but they were growing increasingly annoyed with the excessive use of slideshows on the site.“We need to take action,” Keanu said, slamming his fist on the table. “These slideshows are a menace.”“I couldn’t agree more,” Liam added, rubbing his temples. “It’s like they’re deliberately trying to make it difficult for us to access the information we need.”Charles grunted in agreement. “I’ve had enough of these slideshows. It’s time to show them who’s boss.”The three action stars quickly hatched a plan. They would infiltrate the AVClub headquarters and sabotage the slideshows once and for all.Using their extensive combat skills and stealth tactics, the trio made their way into the AVClub building undetected. They navigated through the halls, taking out security guards and avoiding surveillance cameras.Once they reached the IT department, they began their attack. Keanu used his knowledge of coding to hack into the AVClub website, while Liam and Charles used their physical strength to dismantle the computers and equipment.The AVClub staff was completely caught off guard. They had no idea what was happening, but they knew that something was seriously wrong. The slideshows on their website were glitching and malfunctioning, causing chaos and confusion.In the end, Keanu, Liam, and Charles emerged victorious. They had successfully put an end to the excessive use of slideshows on the AVClub website.As they walked away from the building, they could hear the panicked screams of the AVClub staff echoing in the distance. But Keanu, Liam, and Charles paid them no mind. They had accomplished their mission and brought justice to the internet.
I’ve got to throw in a mention of the K-Drama The Glory, which is now available on Netflix. Basically a modern update on Count of Monte Cristo where a woman becomes the teacher to the children of the people who viciously bullied and beat her up in school as the culmination of a years-long revenge scheme. Absolutely top notch stuff, especially considering it’s from a show runner who’d mostly done comedies before.
I saw it lately and it sucked, being boring af and the acting is beyond hilarious.
Yes, it’s now at the top spot of my favorite revenge films/series of all time—just from the sheer evilness of the perpetrators, and the way in which the revenge was carried out in such a way that didn’t require violence from the victim—which fit with the overarching them of Go.
It’s a very uniquely Korean character, that rich juvenile delinquent character that’s:
super-rich, like Midas rich; beyond the dreams of avarice.hyper-entitled. treats everyone in society like they are beneath them.sociopathic: morality at the level of pulling the wings of flies. tortures other people for their own amusement, or to prove that they can with impunity.immune: but it’s also proven that they are indeed entitled by society for real in the moment—not untouchable afterwards. For example, in an American film, a similar character would first be arrested, but then released later because Daddy had flesh-eating lawyers. In South Korean film, these kinds of characters are portrayed where everyday people are afraid of them for the power they wield.
Came here to see if anyone had brought up The Glory. Down to the final episode and I agree that it is very well made…the pacing is great, the lead actor Song Hye-kyo is mostly known for romantic leads so seeing her in this was pretty cool.
I was told to watch this, even though I’m not a big fan of drama shows. But now it sounds more interesting, if somewhat spoiled (I don’t mind). I had also thought I saw somewhere that it was loosely based on a true story. But I may be mistaken. But the HS torture scenes were a little rough to watch, even at K-drama levels of detail.
Regardless of my personal feelings for Mel Gibson (Mad Max), he also starred in another revenge film which I’m a bit surprised is not on the list: Payback (1999). The Brian Helgeland scripted and directed film is a great time, darkly funny, and vicious.
“It’s starting to look like roast beef!”
I love that line.
It’s because the far superior adaptation, “Point Blank”, is already on the list, Duh.
Why was the remake of Cape Feare here rather than the original?
I was coming in to mention Payback. Its a great movie.
So I assume Once Upon a Time in the West is Number 1+?
Close. It’s this Western instead.
Had to stop about half way through. The gore was too over the top for me.And why did they have to do that with that severed head?
“Dirth”? Come on.
It’s not a movie, so I get why it was left off of this list, but since none of these feature a Revenge Sensei, they all pale in comparison to the ABC series Revenge.
Miss Haversham and Estella. A new version of which has just come out.
Point Blank pisses all over Oldboy from a great height….Oldboy probably enjoys that.
Depends, are they related?
To reference “Revenge is a dish best served cold” and not Have Star Trek II on this list is an odd choice.
I guess because the guy looking for revenge failed mostly. Especially with the events that transpired in the next outing.
This list does not contain “Blue Ruin” and is therefore invalid.
“When they extract their revenge.” Excuse me, sir, but the correct phrase is, “When they EXACT their revenge.” I really should have gotten into this whole writing business.
For some reason the first thing that came to mind was Absence of Malice. Newman never points a gun at anyone but he gets Wilfred Brimley to belittle several people, which seems far worse.
One might ask where the borderline for a “revenge” movie is. Is The Virgin Spring a “revenge” movie? What about The Usual Suspects? Or Hopscotch? Each of them features a different kind of revenge that motivates the plot.
Yeah I had the same thought. The Sting is another one. It is one big revenge plot, and actually tries to say something about the concept, but I suspect it doesn’t meet a lot of people’s criteria.
Usual Suspects is a heist movie.
Animal House is a revenge movie.Thriller A Cruel Picture should make the list.
Revenge of the Nerds is worthy too.
I think this is fair. Horrible Bosses, Neighbors… Some comedies with revenge central to the plot are worthy for consideration.
Even Legally Blonde is a bit of a revenge film.
Those aren’t great movies.
Also, Taken is not a revenge movie. He is motivated by his desire to get his daughter back. It’s a rescue movie.
Now You See Me is a revenge movie masquerading as a heist movie.“Revenge movie masquerading as a heist movie” is probably a whole subgenre, not to be confused with “heist movie masquerading as a revenge movie” such as Die Hard with a Vengeance.
FINALLY… a good list… after how many years?!
No mention of Get Carter with Michael Caine? I must avenge this slight.
And Mike Hodges last movie, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is a slow-burn masterpiece, for sure.
“The ever-quotable Inigo Montoya (Kevin Kline)…”
Ha-ha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is “Never get involved in a land war in Asia,” but only slightly less well known is this: “Never go in against a Princess Bride Fan, when death is on the (Kevin K-)line!
I don’t think that actor is the actor you are thinking of.
Kevin Kline is, in fact, NOT in The Princess Bride. But the italicized quotes I have above my are from Matt Mills, the author of this slide show. Did he make a mistake about who was cast as Inigo? Yes, he did. Did he mention that he redid the article without pointing out that he fucked up and do a proper retraction? No, no he did not. Thanks Matt Mills, good job.
Dear lord…I know that Kevin Kline was not in Princess Bride. I understood everything that you were doing and was just trying to show my appreciation for your joke.Sorry should have read:“I know right! I don’t think that actor is the actor you are thinking of.”
Oh! Shit, I’m sorry. I’m bad at that.
I’m still salty at what they did with the lack of retraction and I took it out on you. Sorry about that!
Where THE FUCK is Man on Fire?
On fire!
dearth*
Good list, awful order. I knew when POINT BLANK was at the low spot you had fucked it all up. POINT BLANK is the film EVERY OTHER FILM wanted to be. Get your act together, slideshow babies.
High Plains Drifter?
Carrie is a revenge movie?? Can’t say I’ve ever seen it classified as that before. I always saw that movie as one of the great tragedies of horror, with a really sympathetic, lovely central character just getting beaten down by the world until she’s broken. Hardly a “revenge movie” arc. I mean, she does “get revenge on” her bullies but it’s most definitely not triumphant in any way, nor is the movie really building to it unless you watch the awful remake with all the scenes of her practicing her wizard powers to get better at telekinesis so she can Harry Potter everyone at the end.If we’re talking Meiko Kaji, I think the first two Female Prisoner Scorpion movies are decent contenders with Lady Snowblood despite being much more lurid. Jailhouse #41 especially is a minor exploitation masterpiece.Ms. 45 is quite good.Others have mentioned it, but Revenge is great.
Yea Carrie is no revenge movie. She reacts on the spot, it’s more like defense. “ Revenge is great. It’s phenomenal! It’s the only thing that separates us from the animals. It’s why I stay with your mother. ”- Al Bundy
I need to rewatch Cape Fear. It’s been a long time. I always forget Scorsese did this.
And the 1962 original, and I’d also suggest finding a copy of The Executioners, one of the short novels that John D. MacDonald wrote before turning his attention primarily to the Travis McGee series.
I don’t remember gun-toting in Oldboy. Hammer-toting maybe.
I’m going to be that guy …. no “Rolling Thunder”?
The Count of Monte Cristo ranked #19? lolz…
Eh, I don’t think Death Wish is about revenge so much as just lashing out. (none of those criminals who fucked up his family are ever seen again) Death Wish II on the other hand…probably isn’t going to get on a “greatest” list.
Now Death Wish 4 on the other hand
That wasn’t revenge either, that was a crackdown, with Kersey as an unwitting stooge for the real villain!
Just here to make sure Mandy made the cut. Carry on.
Do you mean Mandy Patinkin? Because have I got news for you …
Goddamn it. Kevin wins again.
I think Double Jeopardy and Enough make a perfect double feature if we’re getting into the “Revenge films for moms (and also me)” category.
This list sucks, due to the lack of the greatest acting performance of all time.
The Limey??
Fuck yes
If no one else is gonna say it, let me add Twin Town. It’s Welsh, it’s fawking GREAT, and it stars a pre-fame Rhys Ifans and Dougray Scott in a bifurcated movie whose first half is a grimy, comedic take on Trainspotting and whose back half is revenge porn of the highest, highest order.
Pretty sure The Sting should be top 3 at least.
In the Fade with Diane Kruger.
Well, I’m quite partial to Swimchan myself …
Blue Ruin is a very good anti-revenge movie.
High Plains Drifter?
The Crow was “easily the coolest superhero flick of the 1990s?”
No Italian Job?
I was hoping to see “The Last Seduction “ on this list.. Such a great movie, and Linda Fiorentino is amazing in this. And not that this would make anyone’s top ten list as its a bit obscure, but “The Little Book of Revenge” was such a great little romp, and right on point. I recommend searching it out if you can.I’m sure there were many others worth considering as well, as I think revenge is a pretty fertile ground for cinema, but that’s all I can think of right now…
Do Django Unchained and Inglourious Bastards count as revenge movies?
Kinda wish Heathers had made the list.
Both title and topic remind me that one of the holes I really have to fill in my cinematic experience is Kind Hearts and Coronets… if not for a what a friend of mine says is the best origin for “Revenge is a dish that is best served cold” that he has been able to find, then for a tour de force in which Alec Guinness plays no fewer than eight roles. And speaking of that famous and polymorphously attributed line, what about commandeering a starship as an instrument of revenge?
No mention of Titus Andronicus? There was a pretty good adaptation by Julie Taymor with Anthony Hopkins in 1999. I mean, it’s a play/movie where the revenge is quite literally served up – though I don’t remember whether the temperature of the vengeance was specified.
“Literally served up” is another subgenre, e.g. “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover”
I am surprised “Lone Wolf & Cub” didn’t make this list.