THRILLERS | Rape and Revenge
'Rape and revenge films are a subgenre of exploitation film that was particularly popular in the 1970s. Rape and revenge films generally follow the same three-act structure:
Act I: A usually female character is (violently) raped and maybe further abused, tortured or left for dead.
Act II: The character survives and/or rehabilitates themselves.
Act III: The character exacts revenge and/or kills their rapist(s).
In some cases, the character is incapacitated or killed at the end of the first act, and the "revenge" is carried out by their family, as in The Virgin Spring, I Saw the Devil, Nocturnal Animals, the original The Last House on the Left and The House of the Spirits.' Wikipedia
List contains thrillers, horrors and sci-fi with revenge theme limited to 'rape and revenge' subgenre.
List is generally sorted in chronological order, with sequels and remakes listed directly by their precedessors and insipirations.
May include spoilers.
For pure 'revenge' movies, look here:
http://www.imdb.1eye.us/list/ls021727688/
For bunny boilers and stalker movies, look here:
http://www.imdb.1eye.us/list/ls079593607/
Act I: A usually female character is (violently) raped and maybe further abused, tortured or left for dead.
Act II: The character survives and/or rehabilitates themselves.
Act III: The character exacts revenge and/or kills their rapist(s).
In some cases, the character is incapacitated or killed at the end of the first act, and the "revenge" is carried out by their family, as in The Virgin Spring, I Saw the Devil, Nocturnal Animals, the original The Last House on the Left and The House of the Spirits.' Wikipedia
List contains thrillers, horrors and sci-fi with revenge theme limited to 'rape and revenge' subgenre.
List is generally sorted in chronological order, with sequels and remakes listed directly by their precedessors and insipirations.
May include spoilers.
For pure 'revenge' movies, look here:
http://www.imdb.1eye.us/list/ls021727688/
For bunny boilers and stalker movies, look here:
http://www.imdb.1eye.us/list/ls079593607/
List activity
2.4K views
• 7 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
42 titles
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowBirgitta ValbergGunnel LindblomIn 14th-century Sweden, an innocent yet pampered teenage girl and her family's pregnant and jealous servant set out from their farm to deliver candles to church, but only one returns from events that transpire in the woods along the way.'The Virgin Spring (Swedish: Jungfrukällan) is a 1960 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a rape and revenge tale about a father's merciless response to the rape and murder of his young daughter. The story was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson from a 13th-century Swedish ballad, "Töres döttrar i Wänge" ("Töre's daughters in Vänge"). The film contains a number of themes that question morals, vengeance, and religious beliefs.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1961 Academy Awards and other honours. It was also the basis for the 1972 exploitation horror film The Last House on the Left.' Wikipedia.
Despite the dark theme, it's beautiful and sophisticated. I was astonished. Strongly recommended to watch. - DirectorWes CravenStarsSandra PeabodyLucy GranthamDavid HessTwo teenage girls heading to a rock concert for one's birthday try to score marijuana in the city, where they are kidnapped and brutalized by a gang of psychopathic convicts.'The Last House on the Left is a 1972 American exploitation horror film written, edited, and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham. The film follows two teenage girls who are taken into the woods and tortured by a gang of murderous thugs. The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman.
Although its confrontational violence resulted in its being heavily censored and sometimes banned in other countries, the film was generally well received by critics. The film was remade under the same title in 2009.' Wikipedia
One of the best in this cathegory. - DirectorDennis IliadisStarsGarret DillahuntMonica PotterTony GoldwynAfter kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belonging to the parents of one of the victims: a mother and father who devise an increasingly gruesome series of revenge tactics.'The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American horror film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt, Spencer Treat Clark, Martha MacIsaac and Sara Paxton. The film follows the parents (Goldwyn and Potter) of Mari Collingwood (Paxton), who attempt to get revenge on a group of strangers, led by a man named Krug (Dillahunt), that have taken shelter at their home during a thunderstorm.
The film rights were picked up by Rogue Pictures in 2006, with the remake being the first film produced by Wes Craven's new production studio Midnight Pictures. Craven, who wrote and directed the 1972 original, was interested to see what kind of film could be produced on a large budget, as the limited funds in 1972 forced him to eliminate scenes he had wanted to film to tell a complete story. Alleca's original script included elements of the supernatural, which prompted the studio to reject it and bring in Ellsworth to perform a rewrite. One of the elements director Iliadis wanted to avoid with this film, given its graphic nature, was turning it into torture porn — a subgenre of horror popularized by the Saw franchise. For Craven and Iliadis, The Last House on the Left primarily illustrates how even the most normal of families can be driven to evil acts if pushed too far.
The film was released on March 13, 2009, and took the top spot away from Watchmen with $5.6 million in weekend revenue. The Last House on the Left was met with mixed reviews from critics. Audience opinion ranked the film at a "B" level, from a scale of "A to F"; the film would ultimately gross $45,286,228 worldwide. ' Wikipedia - DirectorKaneto ShindôStarsKichiemon NakamuraNobuko OtowaKei SatôTwo women are raped and killed by samurai soldiers. Soon they reappear as vengeful ghosts who seduce and brutally murder the passing samurai.'Kuroneko (藪の中の黒猫 Yabu no Naka no Kuroneko, "A Black Cat in a Bamboo Grove") (aka simply The Black Cat)[2] is a 1968 black-and-white Japanese horror film, directed by Kaneto Shindo, and an adaptation of a supernatural folktale. Set during a civil war in Japan's Heian period, the spirits of a woman and her daughter-in-law seek revenge after losing their lives to a brutal incident. The film was made in black and white, Toho Scope format, and was not dubbed in English. It was shown subtitled only in the US in 1968.' Wikipedia
Recommended to watch, especially for fans of Japanese classic dramas and horrors. - DirectorBo Arne VibeniusStarsChristina LindbergHeinz HopfDespina TomazaniA young woman, rendered mute after a childhood sexual assault, is trained to seek violent revenge on those who kidnapped and forced her into prostitution.'Thriller – A Cruel Picture (Swedish: Thriller – en grym film, also known as They Call Her One Eye, Hooker's Revenge and Thriller) is a 1973 Swedish exploitation film in the "rape and revenge" genre written and directed by Bo Arne Vibenius under the name Alex Fridolinski. It tells the story of a mute young woman who is forced into heroin addiction and prostitution, and her revenge on the men responsible.
Vibenius directed the film under the pseudonym Alex Fridolinski. In the marketing materials the two names share credit for story. In the scene where Lindberg's character is stabbed in the eye the director is rumored to have used an actual cadaver, to much controversy.
The hardcore sex scenes were of a couple who went by the names Romeo and Julia (Juliet's name in Swedish translations). They were a live sex couple performing at clubs in Stockholm.
It has received a cult following and was one of the inspirations behind Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, specifically for the character of Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah).' Wikipedia - DirectorToshiya FujitaStarsMeiko KajiToshio KurosawaMasaaki DaimonA strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.'Lady Snowblood (Japanese: 修羅雪姫 Hepburn: Shurayuki-hime) is a 1973 Japanese action thriller film directed by Toshiya Fujita and starring Meiko Kaji. It is based on the manga series of the same name, recounting the tale of Yuki, a woman who seeks vengeance upon three people who raped her mother and killed her father and brother.
The film spawned one sequel, Love Song of Vengeance. A 2001 science fiction remake, The Princess Blade, stars Yumiko Shaku.
It was also a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. According to Meiko Kaji, Tarantino made the cast and crew of Kill Bill watch DVDs of Lady Snowblood during filming breaks.' Wikipedia - DirectorToshiya FujitaStarsMeiko KajiJûzô ItamiKazuko YoshiyukiTo avoid a death sentence for her prior acts of bloodshed, the vengeful swordswoman Lady Snowblood is conscripted by the Japanese Secret Police to assassinate political dissidents.'Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌 Shurayukihime - Urami renka) is a 1974 Japanese film directed by Toshiya Fujita and starring Meiko Kaji. It is based on the comic Shurayukihime and a sequel to Lady Snowblood.' Wikipedia
- DirectorShinsuke SatoStarsYumiko ShakuHideaki ItôYôichi NumataRaised by assassins, Yuki is the last of the Takemikazuchi royal bloodline. A deadly weapon in her own right, she learns the gruesome truth about the death of her beloved mother and joins forces with a mysterious rebel leader.'The Princess Blade (Japanese: 修羅雪姫 Hepburn: Shurayuki-hime, Lady Snowblood) is a 2001 Japanese action film directed by Shinsuke Sato. It is a reimagining of the manga Lady Snowblood by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura.' Wikipedia
- DirectorMichael WinnerStarsCharles BronsonHope LangeVincent GardeniaA New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks. In self-defense, the vengeful man kills muggers on the mean streets after dark.'Death Wish is a 1974 American vigilante action film, loosely based on the 1972 novel of the same title by Brian Garfield. The film was directed by Michael Winner and stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a man who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted during a home invasion. It was the first of the Death Wish film franchise.
At the time of release, the film was attacked by many film critics due to its support of vigilantism and advocating unlimited punishment of criminals. The novel denounced vigilantism, whereas the film embraced the notion. The film was a commercial success and resonated with the public in the United States, which was facing increasing crime rates during the 1970s.' Wikipedia
A must-see due to its influence on cinema and people of its tim. - DirectorMichael WinnerStarsCharles BronsonJill IrelandVincent GardeniaArchitect Paul Kersey once again becomes a vigilante when he tries to find the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper, this time on the dark streets of Los Angeles.'Death Wish II is a 1982 crime thriller action film directed by Michael Winner. It is the first of four sequels to the 1974 film Death Wish. In Death Wish II, architect Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) moves to Los Angeles with his daughter (Robin Sherwood). After his daughter is murdered at the hands of several gang members, Kersey is once again forced to become a vigilante. Unlike the original, in which he hunts down every criminal he encounters, Kersey only pursues his family's attackers. The sequel makes a complete breakaway from the Brian Garfield novels Death Wish and Death Sentence, redefining the Paul Kersey character.
The sequel was produced by Cannon Films, which had purchased the rights to the Death Wish concept from Dino De Laurentiis. Cannon executive Menahem Golan planned to direct the film, but Winner returned on Bronson's insistence. The soundtrack was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page. Death Wish II was released in the United States in February 1982 by Filmways Pictures but like the original, Columbia Pictures handled the international release and Paramount Pictures via Trifecta Entertainment & Media handles the television rights.' Wikipedia - DirectorMichael WinnerStarsCharles BronsonDeborah RaffinEd LauterArchitect/vigilante Paul Kersey arrives back in New York City and is forcibly recruited by a crooked police chief to fight street crime caused by a large gang terrorizing the neighborhoods.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsCharles BronsonKay LenzJohn P. RyanArchitect/vigilante Paul Kersey takes on the members of a vicious Los Angeles drug cartel to stop the flow of drugs after his girlfriend's daughter dies from an overdose.
- DirectorAllan A. GoldsteinStarsCharles BronsonLesley-Anne DownMichael ParksPaul Kersey is back at working vigilante justice when his fiancée, Olivia, has her business threatened by mobsters.
- DirectorEli RothStarsBruce WillisVincent D'OnofrioElisabeth ShueDr. Paul Kersey is an experienced trauma surgeon, a man who has spent his life saving lives. After an attack on his family, Paul embarks on his own mission for justice.
- DirectorWilliam FruetStarsBrenda VaccaroDon StroudChuck ShamataSleazy dentist Harry owns a house in the Ontario countryside and invites his girlfriend, model Diane, for a weekend. On their way to the house, they drive past four crazed bikers, who follow Harry and Diane there, and terrorize them.
- DirectorZebedy ColtStarsGloria LeonardSusan McBainNancy DareAfter the farmer's insatiable daughters gang-rape their farmhand Fred, three escaped convicts arrive and have their way with members of the family. Fred surprises the convicts, then determinedly replaces them in victimizing the predatory family.
- DirectorMeir ZarchiStarsCamille KeatonEron TaborRichard PaceAn aspiring writer is repeatedly assaulted, humiliated, and left for dead by four men she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.'I Spit on Your Grave (initially titled as Day of the Woman) is a 1978 American rape-and-revenge exploitation horror film written, directed, produced and edited by Meir Zarchi. It tells the story of Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a Manhattan writer whose summer vacation in a riverside cabin goes tumultuous when a group of five men gang rapes and leaves her for dead. Hills then plots killing each of them in the worst possible ways as retribution. The film had a limited release, which later expanded to a wider release in 1980. The film was followed by a sequel, in which Keaton reprises her role: I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu (2018).
I Spit on Your Grave is noted for its controversial depiction of graphic violence, nudity, obscene language, and lengthy depictions of gang rape which take up 30 minutes of the film's runtime. During its wide release, the film was branded a "video nasty" in the United Kingdom, and was a target of censorship by film commissioning bodies. As such, film critic Roger Ebert became one of the most notable detractors of the film, giving it a "Thumbs Down" as well as calling it "a vile bag of garbage". The film remains controversial to this day, even being considered to be one of the worst ever made. Even so, it has been deemed a cult classic. It made Time magazine's Top 10 Ridiculously Violent Movies.
The film spawned a 2010 remake, which has since spawned more sequels.' Wikipedia - DirectorMeir ZarchiStarsCamille KeatonJamie BernadetteMaria OlsenCinema's top lethal lady vengeance returns in the most anticipated sequel of all time.Sequel to I Spit on Your Grave (1978).
- DirectorSteven R. MonroeStarsSarah ButlerJeff BransonAndrew HowardA writer who is brutalized during her cabin retreat seeks revenge on her attackers, who left her for dead.'I Spit on Your Grave is a 2010 American rape-and-revenge horror film and a remake of the controversial 1978 cult film of the same name (originally known as Day of the Woman). It was directed by Steven R. Monroe.
Like the original, the film did find limited cult support. Fangoria magazine wrote that I Spit on Your Grave "...is just as raw and upsetting in its onscreen brutality as the original. Perhaps more so, since the acting is significantly better this time around".' Wikipedia - DirectorSteven R. MonroeStarsJemma DallenderJoe AbsolomYavor BaharovWhen Katie innocently accepts an offer to have new photos taken for her portfolio, the experience quickly turns into a nightmare of rape, torture and kidnapping. Now, she will have to find the strength to exact her brutal revenge.Sequel to I Spit on Your Grave (2010).
'The film was given a limited theatrical release at one theater and has been received negatively by critics.' Wikipeda
You may skip this one. - DirectorRichard SchenkmanStarsSarah ButlerJen LandonDoug McKeonJennifer is still haunted by the memory of being gang raped and almost killed years ago. At her therapist's advice, she joins group therapy and meets similar women. She befriends one and they want more than just talk - justice/vengeance.'I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine is a 2015 American rape and revenge horror film, directed by R.D. Braunstein from a screenplay by Daniel Gilboy. It is the third installment in the series. Sarah Butler reprises her role as Jennifer Hills from the 2010 film I Spit on Your Grave.' Wikipedia
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodSondra LockePat HingleWhen a woman exacts deadly revenge on the aggressors who raped her and her sister ten years earlier, Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is assigned to the case."Sudden Impact is a 1983 American action thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by Clint Eastwood (making it the only Dirty Harry film to be directed by Eastwood himself), and starring Eastwood and Sondra Locke. The film tells the story of a gang rape victim (Locke) who decides to seek revenge on the rapists ten years after the attack by killing them one by one. Detective Callahan (Eastwood) famous for his unconventional and often brutal crime-fighting tactics is tasked with tracking down the serial killer. As the detective investigates the killings, he becomes romantically entangled with the woman, not knowing that she is responsible for the murders.
The film is notable for the catchphrase, "Go ahead, make my day", which is uttered by Clint Eastwood's gun-wielding character in the beginning of the film as he stares down an armed robber who is holding a hostage. That phrase, although in its Italian localization "Coraggio... fatti ammazzare" ("come on, let me kill you"), was also chosen as the title for the Italian version of the film." Wikipedia
If you're fan of Clint Eastwood, you will probably like the movie. - DirectorJane HowellStarsPaul Davies ProwlesEdward HardwickeWalter BrownRoman warrior Titus Andronicus finds himself trapped in a nightmarish cycle of vengeance, misery, and bloodshed.'In 1985, the BBC produced a version of the play for their BBC Television Shakespeare series. Directed by Jane Howell, the play was the thirty-seventh and final episode of the series and starred Trevor Peacock as Titus, Eileen Atkins as Tamora, Hugh Quarshie as Aaron and Anna Calder-Marshall as Lavinia. Because Titus was broadcast several months after the rest of the seventh season, it was rumoured that the BBC were worried about the violence in the play and that disagreements had arisen about censorship. This was inaccurate however, with the delay caused by a BBC strike in 1984.
Initially, director Jane Howell wanted to set the play in present-day Northern Ireland, but she ultimately settled on a more conventional approach. All the body parts seen throughout were based upon real autopsy photographs, and were authenticated by the Royal College of Surgeons. The costumes of the Goths were based on punk outfits, with Chiron and Demetrius specifically based on the band KISS. For the scene when Chiron and Demetrius are killed, a large carcass is seen hanging nearby; this was a genuine lamb carcass purchased from a kosher butcher and smeared with Vaseline to make it gleam under the studio lighting. In an unusual design choice, Howell had the Roman populace all wear identical generic masks without mouths, so as to convey the idea that the Roman people were faceless and voiceless, as she felt the play depicted a society which "seemed like a society where everyone was faceless except for those in power." The production was one of the most lauded plays of the series and garnered almost universally positive reviews.' Wikipedia - DirectorJulie TaymorStarsAnthony HopkinsJessica LangeOsheen JonesTitus returns victorious from war, only to plant the seeds of future turmoil for himself and his family.'Titus is a 1999 Italian-American-British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus, about the downfall of a Roman general, the first theatrically-released feature film adaptation of the play. Starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, it was the directorial debut of Julie Taymor, who co-produced with Jody Patton and Conchita Airoldi, and wrote the screenplay. The film was produced by Overseas Filmgroup and Clear Blue Sky Productions and released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Apart from the deliberate anachronisms, the film follows the play quite closely. One of the experimental concepts in the film was that the character of Young Lucius (Titus' grandson) is initially introduced as a boy from the present who finds himself transported to the fantastical reality of the film. At the beginning of the film, his toy soldiers turn into Titus' Roman army. At the end, when Titus' son Lucius avenges his father by condemning the villainous Aaron to a painful death, the boy takes pity on Aaron's infant son, carrying him away from the violence as he walks slowly into the sunrise. This ending is perhaps more positive than the ending of other productions of the play, including Taymor's stage production, in which Young Lucius is fixated upon the "tiny black coffin" holding the dead infant.' Wikipedia
A must-see. Scene of Lavinia found by her uncle will haunt me for days. - DirectorShekhar KapurStarsSeema BiswasNirmal PandeyRajesh VivekThe story of the bandit queen Phoolan Devi who was sent to prison in 1983 and got free in 1994.