A gangster’s lackey returns after a decade presumed dead to get revenge. Excellent, bleak, driven thriller/horror hybrid. Strong on blending blue-collar realism and genre thrills, so much that its potential excesses are entirely justified in-world. The best movie of its kind since Dead Man’s Shoes or Killing Me Softly.
Here’s the trailer
A crime lord seeks revenge on the armed robbers who kill his son during an armoured car heist. Somewhat po-faced payback thriller, somehow cramming 85 minutes of high-octane action into 2 hours. What should be a lean killing machine gets drawn out by indulgence, Rashomonisms and Tarantinoisms. A shame, as there’s some good stuff lost in the mix.
Here’s the trailer.
An orphan seeks revenge on the fashion maven who killed her mother. Confident, stylish, though thin and overlong prequel to 101 Dalmatians. Basically a supervillain origin story (Cruella is Tim Burton-era Batman, plus Joker and Catwoman here) though borrowing from all-sorts, including The Terminator. MVP is Paul Walter Hauser, though everyone is in on the joke.
Here’s the trailer.
A young woman, left for dead in the desert by three misogynist hunters, seeks revenge. Tremendous lean horror/thriller with arthouse elements. Confident, thrilling and both subversive of and working within subgenre tropes throughout. Recommended.
Here’s the trailer. And another review.
A special forces soldier seeks revenge on the agents who kill his wife. Sub-par military actioner intended to be a franchise-starter. A terrible script, lacklustre action, and variable playing (only Jodie Turner-Smith stands out) plus that European backlot aesthetic. A couple of visually-interesting moments, but that’s it.
Here’s the trailer.
A med school dropout seeks revenge on those who failed her best friend. Uneven black comedy with plenty to address about consent, bystanders, and those who pretend that they’re good guys. It doesn’t all work, but it’s worth your time, plus Mulligan is great.
Here’s the trailer.
A combat veteran struggling with PTSD seeks to avenge a near-fatal assault on her sister. Lean, austere, minimalist thriller with interesting lead character notes and brisk action. An effective star vehicle that reemphasises the qualities of both its lead and its writer/director.
Here’s the trailer.
A disaffected teenager takes revenge on the neo-Nazi prison escapees who take over her family’s holiday property. Slightly too clever for its own good, the movie nevertheless gets going once its plot is clear, and delivers in terms of splattery grue, even if it’s unsure what to do with loose ends.
Here’s the trailer.
A middle-aged woman seeks revenge on those who tormented her as a teen by targeting their now-teenage children. Interesting slow-burn take on the psycho-thriller, with a decent sense of ordinariness to it and some clever casting and playing throughout. Perhaps doesn’t push its core idea to the limit, but well-executed nevertheless.
A famed general, condemned to death in a coup, seeks revenge on Roman emperor Commodus for the murder of his family. Vivid and muscular historical drama, with excellent performances, solid action, and a keen visual sense. A Hollywood history; the inspirations are less actual events than the epics of the 1950s and early 1960s.
![Without Remorse [AKA Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse] (2021, dir. Stefano Sollima)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/without-remorse-poster.jpg?w=815)
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