Movies about revenge such as 2017's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri have always been exceptional thanks to their high stakes and extremely relatable characters. Rooting for someone who has lost everything and sets out seeking vengeance is very easy - after all, everyone has been at a low point in life.
What's more, revenge movies have so many different protagonists that every viewer will be able to find someone to empathize with. That could be the case whether it is a little girl who wants to avenge the murder of her father or a man whose entire family has been massacred or almost anything in between.
John Wick (2014)
Starring the awesome and versatile Keanu Reeves, this action movie blew away audiences in 2014 with its impressive fight sequences. But John Wick is more than just a neo-noir thriller - it is also a revenge movie with a strong dramatic storyline.
The title character is seeking revenge on the men who broke into his house to steal his car, killing his dog which was gifted to him by his recently deceased wife in the process.
True Grit (2010)
A masterpiece from the Coen brothers, True Grit is a Revisionist Western movie - a genre most suitable for revenge storylines. Moreover, it doesn't follow the usual weathered male protagonist of such movies and instead tells the story of a girl who wants to avenge her father's murder.
Played by the talented Haille Steinfield, Mattie Ross seeks out and hires a lawman to pursue the outlaw responsible for the murder, but a Texas Ranger also decides to accompany the duo.
The Revenant (2015)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant is another amazing modern Revisionist Western movie that was directed by the equally masterful Alejandro González Iñárritu. Though its revenge storyline happens a little further into the story, it still plays an integral role for the protagonist.
The movie tells the real story of Hugh Glass (though much altered) who gets injured by a bear and is left behind by his hunting team while his son is murdered by one of the huntsmen. As he recovers, Glass embarks on a journey to find the murderer and avenge his son.
Gone Girl (2014)
David Fincher's Gone Girl is a movie that doesn't reveal itself as a revenge one until the major plot twist happens. Moreover, some viewers will keep rooting for Ben Affleck's character while others will take the side of Rosamund Pike's making it all the more entertaining to watch.
Based on Gillian Flynn's book of the same name, it follows Nick Dunne who one day discovers that his wife has disappeared. As he reports everything to the police, they start suspecting him as the one responsible for her disappearance, but everything is not as simple as it seems.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and its sequel are definitely among the director's best works while the story is one of the most well-known revenge tales of the 21st century.
Everything begins with the so-called Bride lying wounded on the floor of a chapel where she was about to get married. A squad of assassins and their leader Bill have come to kill the Bride and her soon-to-be husband. Leaving her for dead, they don't suspect her to come back several years later seeking revenge.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Another female-led revenge movie, Mad Max: Fury Road is an action-filled visual masterpiece set in a wicked post-apocalyptic world. The fourth installment in the franchise, it perfectly reimagined the previous movies by adding women to the list of valuable resources like water and petrol.
The protagonist from the original trilogy, Max Rockatansky joins Imperator Furiosa as she tries to rescue a group of female prisoners belonging to the local tyrannical leader.
Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook's Oldboy is a South Korean movie that is not only known for its incredible dramatic storyline, but also for its impressive fight sequences and shockingly violent imagery that makes the story all the more impactful.
Adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, it follows a man who was imprisoned in a cell for fifteen years without any idea of who his captor was or why he imprisoned the man. After he is released, he still can't get untangled from his past.
Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan's Memento is the director's first major release that almost instantly became a classic. With its unusual non-linear narrative and a simple but powerful story, it is rightfully considered one of the best psychological thrillers of the 21st century.
The story follows a man with anterograde amnesia, which causes him to forget everything that happens every fifteen minutes. The only thing he can remember clearly is that his wife was killed by the people who attacked them both and now he is looking for those responsible for her death.
Django Unchained (2012)
Another one of Tarantino's masterful creations, Django Unchained is a Revisionist Western that chooses to focus on a different perspective - the one of a man who wouldn't have much power during those times.
The story follows a slave named Django who is freed by a German bounty-hunter who agrees to help Django find his wife while looking for other people he is hunting.
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott's Gladiator is arguably one of the most epic revenge movies of all time. With roots in real historical events, it's no wonder that the filmmakers were able to craft such a realistic and impactful story.
Set in the 2nd century AD, it follows a Roman general who sees the son of his emperor murdering his father and seizing the throne. The new emperor orders the general and his family to be murdered, but the general escapes and becomes a gladiator never giving up his plan to avenge his emperor and his family.