Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but the hottest retaliation films are appetizing at any time. The best revenge thriller movies feature a lead character risking it all to get vengeance on the enemies who did them harm – and often compromising their own moral compass in the process. This is a list of the top movies about revenge including everything from Man on Fire to The Count of Monte Cristo to Harry Brown.
What films will you find on this list of the best revenge thriller movies? While you may think of it as a historical epic, Gladiator doubles as a revenge movie. Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) didn't let a slavery sentence prevent him from getting his revenge against Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). V for Vendetta is another great revenge thriller with a dystopian bent and memorable characters. The 2005 film Four Brothers puts a contemporary twist on the classic Western The Sons of Katie Elder. Other good films featured on this best revenge thrillers list include Memento, The Crow, and Law Abiding Citizen.
Which movie about revenge do you like the best? Give your favorites a thumbs up and add any great flicks that are missing.
list ordered by
1
22 2
MementoGuy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. The screenplay was written by Nolan based on his younger brother Jonathan Nolan's short story ...more
2
14 1
Léon: The ProfessionalNatalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Jean Reno Léon: The Professional is a 1994 English-language French action crime thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson. The film stars Jean Reno and Gary Oldman, and features the film ...more
3
16 4
UnforgivenClint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman Unforgiven is a 1992 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay written by David Webb Peoples. The film portrays William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer ...more
4
14 3
The CrowBai Ling, Brandon Lee, Tony Todd The Crow is a 1994 American fantasy action film directed by Alex Proyas, written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance. Based on James ...more
5
13 5
V for VendettaNatalie Portman, John Hurt, Hugo Weaving V for Vendetta is a 2006 American political thriller film directed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowski Brothers, based on the 1988 Vertigo graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore ...more
6
9 3
GladiatorRussell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Sheen Gladiator is a 2000 American-British epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, ...more
7
11 5
Blue RuinEve Plumb, Bonnie Johnson, Devin Ratray Blue Ruin is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors' Fortnight section on May 17, 2013, ...more
8
10 5
TakenLiam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace Taken is a 2008 French action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and starring Leland Orser, Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Jon Gries, David ...more
9
7 2
PaybackMel Gibson, Lucy Liu, Maria Bello Payback is a 1999 American action crime film directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello and David Paymer. It was based on the novel The Hunter by Donald E. ...more
10
8 4
Law Abiding CitizenGerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Viola Davis Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 American thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer and stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in ...more
11
6 2
The Count of Monte CristoHenry Cavill, Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2002 adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. The film is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, père and stars Jim Caviezel, Guy ...more
12
4 2
I Spit on Your GraveSarah Butler, Andrew Howard, Tracey Walter I Spit on Your Grave is a 2010 American rape and revenge horror film, and a remake of the controversial 1978 cult film Day of the Woman. It was directed by Steven R. Monroe, and stars Sarah ...more
Mad MaxMel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, produced by Byron Kennedy and starring Mel Gibson. James McCausland and Miller wrote the screenplay from a story by ...more
14
4 3
Man on FireMickey Rourke, Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film and the second adaptation of A. J. Quinnell's 1980 novel of the same name; the first film based on the novel was released in 1987. The 2004 film ...more
15
3 2
The GiftJason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton The Gift is a 2015 American-Australian psychological horror-thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Joel Edgerton in his directorial debut. The film stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca ...more
16
5 5
MunichDaniel Craig, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush Munich is a 2005 historical drama and political thriller film based on Operation Wrath of God, the Israeli government's secret retaliation against the Palestine Liberation Organization after the ...more
17
4 4
The Brave OneJodie Foster, Zoë Kravitz, Terrence Howard The Brave One is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Neil Jordan, produced by Joel Silver, and starring Jodie Foster. It was released in the United States on September 14, ...more
18
4 4
Four BrothersSofía Vergara, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson Four Brothers is a 2005 American action film directed by John Singleton. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund. The film was shot in Detroit, Michigan ...more
19
3 3
FasterDwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Maggie Grace Faster is 2010 action film written by Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton and directed by George Tillman Jr..
20
4 5
Harry BrownMichael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen "Harry Brown marks the feature film debut for talented upcoming director Daniel Barber, Academy Award®-nominated in 2008 for his short film The Tonto Woman. The film is an urban western ...more
21
3 4
The Sons of Katie ElderJohn Wayne, Dean Martin, Dennis Hopper The Sons of Katie Elder is a 1965 Technicolor Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin. The movie was filmed principally in Mexico. The film Four Brothers ...more
22
1 2
47 RoninKeanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa 47 Ronin is a 2013 American fantasy action film depicting a fictional account of the forty-seven Ronin, a real-life group of masterless samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenged the death of ...more
23
3 5
SleepersBrad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman Sleepers is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 novel of the same name.
