Revenge movies led by female characters have been a thing for decades now, and are starting to become more popular as time goes on. Horror movies usually end with there being a “final-girl”, the lone babysitter that managed to get away, while her friends were terrorized and slaughtered. Now, things have started to shift, and thriller/horrors are developing a new take to what revenge can be. Whether it’s revenge for a loved one, or getting justice for themselves, women in these roles don’t go down without a fight, and are admired for their agility and strength, both physically and mentally. Here is a list of the best woman-led revenge films.
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6 Carrie (1976)
Red Bank Films
Starring Sissy Spacek in this retelling of Stephen King’s famous novel, Carrie is truly a cult classic. Carrie White is a sixteen-year-old loner who is constantly bullied by her peers at school, and suffers abuse from her mother at home. When an unfortunate incident happens in the school showers, things start to take a turn, as Carrie’s bully, Christine Hargensen, plans a huge bloody prank at prom, leaving Carrie covered in pig’s blood. It’s revealed then to everyone at the gym that Carrie has telekinetic powers, Carrie uses them on everyone, as she controls things with her mind and sets the gym on fire. She also ends up taking care of her abusive mom when she gets home, so that’s a plus.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Miramax
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is one of the best martial arts movies and female revenge stories of all time. Starring Uma Therman as The Bride, viewers follow the plot as The Bride travels from assassin to assassin, looking to hunt down Bill after she was almost killed, while pregnant with his child. The Bride teaches herself how to walk after being in a coma for years, finding the will power to do it herself, as she thinks of all that she lost in such a short amount of time. By the time she makes it to Japan, she’s furious and ready to get even, mowing down O-Ren Ishii’s (Lucy Lu) gang, until she fights O-Ren head-on, and wins. The plot continues through the second movie, but Volume 1 gives the viewer all they need to know about The Bride, and how she won’t go down without a fight.
4 Peppermint (2018)
STX Films
Jennifer Garner wows in this 2018 film, showing a familiar side to her acting as she takes on the role of Riley North, a mother seeking revenge for the murder of her husband and daughter. After her husband gets mixed in with a notorious drug lord, the entire family is almost wiped out at a local fair, Riley, being the only one to survive, immediately wants justice. When the entire system turns against her, since they’re also mixed in with the drug lord/cartel, Riley takes matters into her own hands and transforms herself into a vigilante who’s not stopping until she gets what she wants. She gains an incredible body count, and in the end, justice is served.
3 Promising Young Woman (2020)
FilmNation Entertainment
Making her directorial debut, Emerald Fennel guides this film with great pacing and timing, making it one of the best newer woman-led revenge films. The plot follows a thirty-year-old named Cassie (Carey Mulligan), who’s a vigilante of sorts, making it her mission to expose potential sexual assaulters after her best friend from college was attacked, and justice was never brought to her case. Nina, her college friend, ultimately killed herself after their college did nothing, leading Cassie to be non-stop with her efforts in exposing individuals with ill intentions. When she starts seeing a man named Ryan (Bo Burnham) and learns that he’s friends with Nina’s assaulter, she plans her biggest mission yet, and does all she can to expose him for what he did, and also, for who he truly is. According to DigitalSpy, there is an alternate ending to this film that would leave audiences happier, but the filmmakers chose to take it a different route in the end.
2 Gone Girl (2014)
Twentieth Century Fox
Based on the novel written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl takes the audience on quite the ride as the marriage of Amy and Nick Dunne unfolds. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing; their house trashed and blood everywhere, so forensics concludes that Nick could very much be a lead suspect in the disappearance or murder of his wife. What Nick doesn’t know, is that Amy is well-aware that he’s been cheating on her with a student of his, who is significantly younger, and on top of their marriage falling apart before that, Amy decides to shake things up a bit and frame her husband to precisely get revenge on him for all he’s done. Amy is played by Rosamund Pike, and Nick is portrayed by Ben Affleck; the two of them receiving high praise for their acting in this film.
1 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, Jennifer’s Body follows the story of teen Jennifer, who’s recently been possessed by a demon who thrives off the blood of men. Jennifer is played by Megan Fox, a popular cheerleader and captain of her squad, and who is best friends with Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried. The NewYorker states that Jennifer’s Body is a perfect revenge movie, with the basis of getting back at men who only want women for their bodies. When Needy learns what her best friend is doing to the population of boys at their high school, she takes it upon herself to stop the possessed demon and kill her.
