Best Vigilante Movies

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Rated R

Django Unchained is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Set in the Old West and Antebellum South, it is a highly stylized take on Spaghetti Westerns. The film stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a former slave who treks across America to rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from her former owner, the ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). With the help of his mentor, the German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), Django is able to take on the corrupt lawmen and plantation owners of the South and free his wife from the plantation. Along the way, Django and Schultz face numerous obstacles, most notably Candie's vicious house slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson). In the end, Django manages to free Broomhilda and kill Candie and Stephen in the process.

From Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Rated R

Taxi Driver is a 1976 American psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. It stars Robert De Niro as a lonely war veteran turned taxi driver, who goes on a mission of vigilante justice, driven by the darkness he finds within himself. Set in a decaying, morally bankrupt New York, the film follows his descent into madness as he attempts to save a young prostitute (Jodie Foster) from her pimp (Harvey Keitel). The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for De Niro. It was also the first film to gain cult-film status and is frequently cited as one of the best films of the 1970s.

From Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Christopher Carley, Ahney Her
Rated R

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama directed, produced by, and starring Clint Eastwood. The film follows Walt Kowalski, an elderly Korean War veteran living in a Detroit neighborhood that has been overrun by gang violence. When a young Hmong teenager tries to steal his beloved Gran Torino, Walt takes it upon himself to ensure the boy's safety by taking him under his wing and teaching him the importance of respecting others, loyalty, and self-respect. Through a series of confrontations, Walt is able to bring peace to his neighborhood and become an unlikely hero.

From Pierre Morel, starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Leland Orser
Rated PG-13

Taken is a 2008 action-thriller directed by Pierre Morel and starring Liam Neeson. The plot follows retired CIA operative Bryan Mills, who sets out to retrieve his daughter who has been kidnapped by a group of human traffickers while vacationing in Paris. With his special set of skills, he will stop at nothing to save her. As he embarks on a relentless quest to rescue her, he must also confront a dangerous adversary who will do anything to keep her. With the clock ticking, Mills must use all of his resources and experience to hunt down the kidnappers and ultimately save his daughter.

From Troy Duffy, starring Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, David Della Rocco
Rated R

The Boondock Saints is a 1999 action-thriller film directed by Troy Duffy. It follows two Irish American brothers (Connor and Murphy MacManus) from South Boston as they set out to rid the city of its criminal underground. After accidentally killing a Russian mob boss in a barroom brawl, the brothers become vigilantes, and soon attract the attention of a veteran FBI agent who is determined to bring them to justice. As they fight their way through the criminal underworld, they are aided by a mysterious Catholic priest and other unlikely allies. In the end, the brothers must face their own personal demons and choose between right and wrong. In the process, they discover the true meaning of justice and justice itself.

From Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell
Rated R

Man on Fire is a 2004 action thriller directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington. The film follows a former CIA operative and vigilante, John Creasy (Washington), as he is hired to protect a nine-year-old girl from kidnappers in Mexico City. Despite his reluctance to take the job and his initial doubts about the child's safety, Creasy develops a close bond with her. When she is abducted, Creasy embarks on a relentless, brutal, and ultimately triumphant mission to rescue her. Along the way Creasy must confront the city's criminal underworld and the corrupt forces that threaten his life and the lives of those he loves. Filled with intense action sequences and gripping suspense, Man on Fire is an unforgettable story of friendship, vengeance, and redemption.

From Joel Schumacher, starring Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin
Rated R

Falling Down is a 1993 American drama thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Michael Douglas as a frustrated, unemployed defense worker who begins to violently lash out against the various frustrations of his life. The film follows Douglas's character as he embarks on a harrowing, violent journey across Los Angeles in a desperate attempt to make sense of his life. Along the way, he encounters various individuals and situations that exacerbate his already fragile mental state. As the police give chase, the film examines how far a man can truly go when pushed past his breaking point, and the consequences of such an action.

From Matthew Vaughn, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Garrett M. Brown
Rated R

Kick-Ass is a 2010 action-comedy superhero film directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the comic book series of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. The film follows the story of Dave Lizewski, a high school student who decides to become a real-life superhero despite having no special powers. He teams up with a pair of seasoned crime fighters and takes on a local crime lord. The film received critical acclaim upon release, praising the performances of its cast and the fight scenes. Kick-Ass grossed over $96 million at the box office and spawned a sequel and a spin-off series.

From Shane Meadows, starring Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell, Stuart Wolfenden
Rated Not Rated

Dead Man's Shoes is a 2004 British psychological thriller directed by Shane Meadows. The film tells the story of a war veteran, Richard, who returns to his hometown of Matlock, Derbyshire to seek revenge on a group of drug dealers who terrorized his mentally challenged younger brother, Anthony, while he was away. With the help of his best friend, Soap, Richard sets out to exact vengeance on the criminals while also trying to protect Anthony from the consequences of his actions. The film is a combination of crime and drama, exploring themes of family, friendship, vengeance, and redemption. Richard's quest for justice is a dark take on the traditional revenge narrative, showing how violence begets violence and how it can be difficult to move on from the past. The film was a critical and commercial success and is regarded as one of Meadows' finest works.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze, Ciarán Hinds
Rated R

Munich is a political thriller film set in the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Massacre at the Olympic Games. The film follows a professional assassin, Avner Kaufman, as he is hired by the Israeli government and Mossad to take out those responsible for the massacre. The mission takes Avner on a journey across Europe, where he and his team must confront their own inner demons as they come to terms with the consequences of their actions. Along the way, Avner faces numerous personal and moral dilemmas, including the question of whether his actions are justified in the name of vengeance. Ultimately, Avner is left to grapple with the realization that violence is never the answer.

From F. Gary Gray, starring Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney
Rated R

From Sam Peckinpah, starring Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughan, T.P. McKenna
Rated R

From Antoine Fuqua, starring Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour
Rated R

From Daniel Barber, starring Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, David Bradley, Charlie Creed-Miles
Rated R

From Ted Post, starring Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan, David Soul
Rated R

From Bobcat Goldthwait, starring Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr, Mackenzie Brooke Smith, Melinda Page Hamilton
Rated R

From Chris Eyre, starring Eric Schweig, Graham Greene, Gary Farmer, Noah Watts
Rated R

From Phil Karlson, starring Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Hartman, Leif Garrett, Dawn Lyn
Rated R

From Macon Blair, starring Melanie Lynskey, Chris Doubek, Marilyn Faith Hickey, Jared Roylance
Rated TV-MA

From Peter Stebbings, starring Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings, Sandra Oh, Elias Koteas
Rated R

From John Singleton, starring Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André 3000, Garrett Hedlund
Rated R

From Antoine Fuqua, starring Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean
Rated R

From James Wan, starring Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, Kelly Preston, Garrett Hedlund
Rated R

From Neil Jordan, starring Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews, Nicky Katt
Rated R

From Martin Campbell, starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic
Rated R