I watched the fantastic Is God Is recently, and that’s inspired me to take a look at some of the best revenge films I’ve watched so far.
Is God Is
I went into this one completely blind, as it was just one of the random entries on my film club watching list. Little did I know that is not only Aleshea Harris‘s directorial debut, but it’s also based on her own play. Impressive. Added to this, it’s also brutal, beautiful and wholly original. Not in terms of the basic revenge premise, but in the execution, certainly. The plot’s pretty simple, but it’s all done in such a fresh format. Wonderful.
Oldboy
I studied this guy as part of my extended project on prison literature and revenge that’s been influenced by Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Fun fact. Main man Oh Dae-su is imprisoned for 15 years (the same amount of time that Edmond Dantes is shackled up) for a reason he doesn’t understand. Incredibly brutal and unrelenting with some damn fine fight choreography, Park Chan Wook’s sombre masterpiece is a work to be treasured.
Memento
Christopher Nolan’s cryptic crime tale is an absolute banger, filled with twisty time-related chicanery and plenty of shady characters to boot. As with most of Nolan’s filmography, it’s one of those flicks that rewards repeat viewings just to get all those essential details. Alongside L.A. Confidential, this is also Guy Pearce’s finest performance to date. It’s a shame Nolan couldn’t get Radiohead’s Paranoid Android for the last track, but this film’s still great.
Kill Bill
Sure, I do slightly prefer the first volume to the second (Lucy Liu just kicks ass), I do adore all the Pai Mei training sequences in the latter part. I don’t love these films as much as I used to, but they’re great examples of OTT stylistic violence and they’re still a load of fun. Plus that anime sequence in the first volume absolutely rocks. So much so that they decided to extend it for the recent Whole Bloody Affair cut. Nice.
The Nightingale
If you can make it through the first act of Jennifer Kent’s sophomore film, that’s a pretty commendable achievement in itself. No spoilers, but it’s that initial traumatic bit that kicks off the revenge saga through the Australian Outback. Undeniably harrowing, and easily one of the bleakest films I’ve seen, but gorgeous cinematography and fantastic characters (I hate you, Sam Clafin. Even though you’re just an actor playing a horrible character very convincingly, I hate you) make this a film to remember for a long time.
Gladiator
‘Husband to a murdered wife, father to a murdered son. I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next’. Yep, the revenge genre is pretty loud and clear, but this a phenomenal film with fantastic set pieces, and it’s made all the more mighty when you consider how beige the sequel was. What were you thinking, Ridley? There are worst sequels out there, but nonetheless, come on. Oh, and Hans Zimmer’s score is absolute fire in the OG. Hearing him conduct those tunes live was a mesmerising experience.
So, the winner? I’ve got some absolute bangers to choose from, but I think I’m going to have to go with The Nightingale. Horrifying, sure, but also damn good.