Vigilantism is a controversial subject. When someone takes the law into their own hands to bring the bad to justice, it isn't always the right thing to do. Cinema has long latched onto the themes of the vigilante, reaping big box office rewards with stars such as Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Kevin Bacon receiving good reviews for their participation in such films. Shows such as HBO's Watchmen and Netflix's The Punisher have also seen success with their vigilante-themed TV shows.
The Death Wish series is the most popular, but there have been many important entries into the genre. Here are 10 vigilante film gems.
The Born Losers (1967)
The iconic screen character of Billy Jack made his first appearance in this drive-in classic. The Born Losers has Billy Jack taking on a biker gang and becoming the vigilante that we would see in his subsequent films. The film became extremely popular, leading it to become one of the all-time biker movie classics.
Tom Laughlin wrote directed and starred in all of the Billy Jack films. His creation became an iconic 70s hero who stood up for the oppressed through meditation, Native American philosophy, and kick-ass kung-fu.
The Exterminator (1980)
Truly one of the more controversial vigilante films due to the extreme viciousness of its violence, James Glickenhaus' The Exterminator found Robert Ginty as a man who sees his best friend die at the hands of street thugs. The character gets guns and a flamethrower and proceeds to become a violent and unforgiving vigilante.
Critics trashed the film as a vulgar and too-bloody Death Wish rip-off, but audiences made it a huge hit in the Grindhouse circuit and it is extremely popular with 80s action fans.
Death Wish (1974)
Charles Bronson was already a big star due to his work in films such as The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, and Once Upon a Time in the West. The actor became a film icon through his action/thriller work in the 70s, beginning with Michael Winner's Death Wish in 1974.
Bronson played Paul Kersey, an architect whose family is attacked, leading to the death of his wife. Kersey hits the streets with a recently purchased gun to rid the city of bad guys while searching for the men who destroyed his family. Winner's film walks the balance between serious social commentary and visceral action, but does both very well, allowing the film to be remembered as a classic of 70s cinema.
Death Wish II (1982)
Paul Kersey is now in L.A. and violence finds him again after his daughter is raped and murdered. Kersey must once again pick up his gun and return to the vigilante ways that he wanted to leave behind. A one-man wrath of vengeance, Kersey commences to wiping the criminals from the streets of Los Angeles while finding his daughter's killers.
After an eight-year stretch, Charles Bronson easily returned to the role of Paul Kersey. This film was much more controversial than the first, as the brutality was quite extreme. What makes this film work better than the first is also the reason for its controversy. It truly is extremely violent and there are times when the audience may wonder if the director has gone too far, but it makes it all the more satisfying for viewers when Bronson finally gets the bad guys. Most reviewers trashed the film, but Bronson's return proved to be big at the box office.
Kick-Ass (2010)
Matthew Vaughn's clever, funny. and exciting adaptation of the Graphic Novel Kick-Ass became an instant cult classic. It is the story of a group of young social outcasts who decide to become superheroes, even though none of them have any powers or real skills, which means they basically become vigilantes.
Chloe Grace Moretz steals the show as "Hit-Girl", a vulgar, take-no-bullshit vigilante who is the most kick-ass of everyone. Her character has gone down as one of the most popular comic sidekicks of them all. The entire cast does great work, with Nicolas Cage, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Mark Strong as standouts.
MS. 45 (1981)
Abel Ferrara created this cult vigilante film about a mute woman who is raped twice in one day and begins to lose her mind. She gets a 45 caliber pistol and stalks the sleazy New York nights shooting men who she deems bad.
The film was a hit in the Grindhouse cinemas of the big cities and found an even bigger cult following on VHS. The star of the film, Zoe Lund, received good reviews, as did Ferrara's low-budget filmmaking. Fans of the genre embraced its gritty street violence and for its time, it was unique to see a woman take control and fight back.
Falling Down (1993)
Director Joel Schumacher has a filmography that traversed many different genres. 1993's Falling Down was his one and only vigilante film and many consider it to be one of his finest. Michael Douglas stars as a man who is fed up with his country. During a traffic jam, he leaves the car and begins walking the city of Los Angeles to fight back against what he perceives to be social injustices. At first, the audience is somewhat behind his vigilantism, until it is revealed that Douglas' character is mentally unstable and very dangerous.
While not a financial success during its release, Schumacher's film has grown in stature over time and is now considered one of the most important films of its decade and one of the top vigilante films.
Vigilante (1982)
The title of William Lustig's 1982 Vigilante couldn't be more self explanatory. Robert Forster stars as a man whose wife and son are attacked by thugs. The corrupt court lets them off, so Forester and his friend, played by Fred Williamson, turn vigilante in search of justice.
A potent and violent film, Lutig's piece isn't the exploitation film the ads promised. While there is much action, the film is a smart character-driven work that has something to say about America's corrupted criminal justice system.
Magnum Force (1973)
In Magnum Force, the sequel to Don Siegel's 1971 classic Dirty Harry, director Ted Post and screenwriters Michael Cimino and John Milius pitted Harry Callahan against a secret vigilante police force who were ridding the city of San Francisco of the criminals who slipped through the fingers of justice.
The film is different from Siegel's original, as this one makes Harry less of an anti-hero and more of the voice of reason amongst a sea of corruption. However, this film is even more violent and cynical than Dirty Harry and both films stand as examples of the type of hard-edged police films that wouldn't get made today.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver is considered to be one of the best films of its decade and a powerful and influential American masterpiece. Robert De Niro starred as Travis Bickle, a man who wants to clean up the crime, drug, and pimp-infested New York City. In one of the film's many memorable lines, Bickle suggests that a "real rain" should come to "wash the scum off the streets." Bickle will be that rain.
Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader created a dark and disturbing film about a man who is closed off from humanity and unable to communicate person to person. His disgust with the crime-ridden city in which he lives takes Bickle to the breaking point, as he decides to communicate in the only voice he believes people will hear, reactionary violence. De Niro's portrayal of Travis Bickle and the manner in which he exists within the film led the character to be one of the most recognized anti-heroes in 70s cinema.