Famous Vigilantes

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, the film follows a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who treks across America with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to free his wife from a ruthless plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Along the way, the duo take on a variety of characters and situations that test their morality and skills in the pursuit of justice. Throughout the journey, Django and his companion face racism, violence, and other forms of oppression. Ultimately, Django and the bounty hunter gain their revenge and Django is reunited with his wife.

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

Taxi Driver is a psychological drama directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert De Niro. It follows lonely, mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran Travis Bickle who takes a job as a taxi driver in New York City. He eventually descends into a violent and obsessive mission to rid the city of its crime and corruption, particularly in the seedy underbelly of Times Square. Along the way, he meets and befriends a twelve-year-old runaway, Iris, and develops a romantic obsession with a political campaign worker, Betsy. The story culminates in a bloody confrontation, as Travis attempts to end the corruption and violence that fills the streets of New York.

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

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. The film follows Walt Kowalski, an elderly Korean War veteran living in a changing Detroit neighborhood. Kowalski is an angry old man who keeps to himself and tends to his beloved 1972 Gran Torino. However, his neighbor Thao, a young Hmong teenager, unintentionally crosses Kowalski when he attempts to steal the car. The two eventually form an unlikely friendship, and Kowalski takes it upon himself to help Thao out of his troubles with local gang members. Through this bond, Kowalski is able to confront his own issues and find peace and solace in his remaining years. The film has received positive reviews and was praised for its exploration of themes such as family, aging, and redemption.

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

Taken is an action-thriller film directed by Pierre Morel, released in 2008. It stars Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative who is taken out of retirement when his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped in Paris while on vacation. With the help of a former colleague, Bryan uses his skills to track down the kidnappers and save his daughter from a life of slavery in the human trafficking trade. Along the way, he must take on corrupt government officials, a powerful mob boss, and his own former allies. Despite the odds, Bryan manages to rescue his daughter and bring her home safely.

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

The Boondock Saints is a 1999 crime-action movie directed by Troy Duffy. It follows the lives of two Irish American brothers, Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after a violent encounter with the Russian mob in Boston. The brothers then set out to rid the city of organized crime and bring justice to those who have wronged them. In their mission, they are aided by their friend, "Il Duce", and pursued by FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker. Ultimately, their actions set off a chain of events which leads to a violent and bloody shootout at the docks. Through their unique brand of justice, Connor and Murphy make a lasting impact on the city and its criminal underworld.

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

Man on Fire follows the story of a former assassin-turned-bodyguard, John Creasy (Denzel Washington), who is hired to protect a young girl named Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. After Creasy's initial reluctance to take on the job, he eventually forms a strong bond with Pita, who refers to him as her "Poppa Bear". When Pita is kidnapped and the ransom demands are not met, Creasy is determined to get her back, no matter the cost. He embarks on a mission of vengeance, using his lethal training and contacts to track down and eliminate those responsible for her abduction. Despite his efforts, Creasy ultimately fails to save Pita, but does succeed in killing all of the kidnappers. In the end, he is able to reconcile with Pita's parents and regain some sense of closure.

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 and starring Michael Douglas as a lonely defense worker who embarks on a violent, unpredictable journey across Los Angeles. Following a heated argument with his ex-wife and her lawyer over his daughter's custody, the man sets out on a journey to make it across the city to his daughter's birthday party. Along the way, he is forced to confront various people and situations that test his increasingly fragile mental state, as well as his own morality. Through his journey, he discovers the harsh realities of society and experiences a personal transformation.

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

Kick-Ass is a 2010 superhero action-comedy film directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. The film follows Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), an ordinary teenager who decides to become a real-life superhero despite having no superhuman powers. He adopts the persona of Kick-Ass and, with the help of his two friends, Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Todd Haynes (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), he sets out to fight crime in the streets of New York City. The trio soon find themselves up against the ruthless crime boss, Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong), who is determined to take them down. Along the way, they must also contend with Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), a masked vigilante with his own agenda. With their wits and a lot of luck, Kick-Ass and his friends must battle Frank and his henchmen, as well as their own inner demons, in order to save their city.

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

Dead Man's Shoes is a 2004 British revenge thriller film written and directed by Shane Meadows, starring Paddy Considine and Toby Kebbell. Set in the rural Midlands of England, the film follows Richard (Considine), a soldier who returns home to the town of Matlock to exact revenge on the local drug dealers who previously terrorized his mentally challenged younger brother, Anthony (Kebbell). Along the way, Richard meets Sonny (Gary Stretch), a former friend who helps him to carry out his mission. As Richard’s revenge unfolds and his own dark secrets are revealed, the film explores themes of redemption, justice, and suffering.

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

Munich is a 2005 American-Canadian thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. The film follows a team of Mossad agents as they embark on a covert mission to assassinate the Palestinian terrorists believed to be responsible for the 1972 Munich Massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. The team, led by Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana), is forced to confront the complex ethical and moral implications of their mission. The film also examines the long-term effects of the incident on both the victims and perpetrators, as well as the relationships between each member of the team. Munich ultimately seeks to raise questions about the cost of revenge and the price of justice.

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