Movies About Violence

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Rated R

The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy. It is based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Talia Shire. The story follows the aging patriarch of the Corleone crime family as he transfers control of his empire to his youngest son, Michael. The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films in filmmaking history, and it gained immediate acclaim upon its release. The film was a major box office success and won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor for Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Rated R

Pulp Fiction is an American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film follows the lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits as they intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. The stories involve a wide variety of violent crimes, ranging from drug dealing and theft to contract killing. The film's main characters are hit men Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield, who are sent out by their boss, mob kingpin Marsellus Wallace, to retrieve a briefcase stolen from him. Other characters include their boss' wife, Mia, a drug dealer, and a mysterious boxer. The film is noted for its neo-noir style, nonlinear storyline, and dark humor. Pulp Fiction won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential films of the 1990s.

From David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier
Rated R

Fight Club is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. The film follows an unnamed narrator who struggles with his escalating disenchantment with the world and forms a "fight club" with soap maker Tyler Durden and a house full of men. The club's primary activities involve fighting and other extreme or dangerous activities. As their fights become increasingly violent, the narrator's mental health begins to unravel, and he comes to realize that Tyler is not what he seems. The film explores themes of nihilism, masculinism, and anticonsumerism, and is controversial for its graphic violence and explicit language.

From David Fincher, starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Rated R

Se7en is a 1995 thriller/mystery film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. The story follows two detectives, William Somerset (Freeman) and David Mills (Pitt), as they attempt to track down a serial killer who chooses his victims based on the seven deadly sins. As the body count rises and the detectives get closer to the killer, the tension builds and the stakes get higher. The film is a dark and unsettling character study, as the detectives and killer wrestle with the nature of evil and justice. In the end, the detectives must confront the insidiousness of evil, as well as their own moral failings. Se7en is a gripping crime thriller that remains a classic of the genre.

From Jonathan Demme, starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons
Rated R

The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological horror film directed by Jonathan Demme and released in 1991. The film follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she attempts to capture the notorious serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. With help from Lecter, Starling is tasked with apprehending another serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Along the way, Starling and Lecter develop an unlikely bond, as Lecter helps her get closer to catching Buffalo Bill and reveals insights into his own troubled past. The Silence of the Lambs is a thrilling exploration of the darkness and depravity of the human mind. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time.

From Alfred Hitchcock, starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Rated R

Psycho is a classic psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1960. The film follows Marion Crane, a young woman who embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer and flees the state. On her journey, she checks into the Bates Motel, a lonely, isolated place run by the mysterious Norman Bates. As Marion's stay at the motel progresses, strange events begin to occur and she soon finds herself faced with a shocking realization. The film is known for its unexpected plot twists and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Rated R

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen. Set during the Vietnam War, the film follows a US Army special agent, Captain Willard, who is tasked with a mission to find and terminate a rogue colonel, Walter Kurtz, whose methods have become increasingly disturbing and violent. Along the way, Willard is exposed to the horrors of war, and his own psychological demons, as he wades deeper into the jungle and comes closer to Kurtz. The film is an intense and powerful exploration of the human condition, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.

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 tribute to Spaghetti Westerns, in particular the 1966 Italian film Django by Sergio Corbucci, whose star Franco Nero has a cameo appearance. The film stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a freed slave who sets out to rescue his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from the clutches of a ruthless Mississippi plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter, who teams up with Django to take down Candie. Along the way, Django and Schultz face off against the notorious Brittle brothers (James Remar, James Russo, and Tom Wopat), a crafty house slave (Samuel L. Jackson), and the Ku Klux Klan. Tarantino employs his trademark use of violence, dark humor, and nonlinear story structure, as well as an ensemble cast that includes veterans of his previous films. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Rated R

A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian crime film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. The film follows the protagonist Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his gang of friends as they commit acts of extreme violence and debauchery across the fictional town of "Moloch". Alex is eventually caught by the police and subjected to a controversial form of rehabilitation known as the "Ludovico Technique". This technique uses psychological conditioning to transform him into a model of good behavior, but ultimately strips Alex of his free will. In the end, Alex is left to ponder the true nature of morality and justice.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin
Rated R

Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film directed by Stanley Kubrick. It follows the story of a squad of U.S. Marines from their initial training to their deployment in the Vietnam War. The first half of the film focuses on the grueling basic training of Private Joker, Private Pyle, and the rest of their platoon under the supervision of their drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. In the second half of the film, the squad is sent to Vietnam and experiences the horrors of war. Through the experiences of the characters, the film paints an unflinching picture of the psychological toll war can take on young soldiers.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent
Rated R

Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 war film directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt. The film follows two connected story lines set during World War II in occupied France. The first story follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who are on a mission to bring "scalps" of their enemies to their commanding officer. The second story follows a young French-Jewish girl, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent), as she plans to avenge the deaths of her family at the hands of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). As the two story lines intersect and intertwine, the Basterds and Shosanna must outwit and outmaneuver their Nazi enemies in order to succeed in their mission. The film is a highly stylized, entertaining, and thrilling take on World War II and its heroes and villains.

From Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis
Rated Approved

North by Northwest is a classic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant as Madison "Roger" Thornhill, the film follows Roger's journey as he is mistaken for an undercover agent and hunted by mysterious foreign spies. He is chased across the United States, from New York to the Midwest to the South and finally to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, in a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Along the way, Roger teams up with a beautiful woman, Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), and together they outwit the spies and uncover a complex web of espionage. This film is known for its groundbreaking cinematography, intense suspense, and clever dialogue, making it a timeless classic.

From Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Rated R

No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller directed and written by the Coen brothers and based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Llewelyn Moss, a hunter who stumbles upon drug money and a violent cat-and-mouse game of survival, morality, and fate after a drug deal gone wrong. Along the way, he is pursued by an unrelenting, ruthless assassin named Anton Chigurh. The film received critical acclaim, and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for the Coen brothers. It grossed over $170 million and ranks number 101 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen
Rated R

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is a 2003 martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as The Bride, a former assassin seeking revenge on her former boss and his team of deadly assassins. The story follows The Bride as she sets out on a four-year mission of vengeance and justice. Along the way she faces off against a variety of characters, including two of her former associates, an assassin named O-Ren Ishii and her personal bodyguard, Sofie Fatale. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 features a mix of genres, including martial arts, comedy, and drama, as well as an eclectic soundtrack. It is considered one of Tarantino's most important films and has received critical acclaim for its innovative style and use of violence.

From Denis Villeneuve, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo
Rated R

Prisoners is a 2013 crime-drama directed by Denis Villeneuve. The story follows two families in Pennsylvania whose children are mysteriously kidnapped. The desperate fathers, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) and Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard), take matters into their own hands in order to try to find their missing children. Meanwhile, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned to the case and is determined to find the children at any cost. The mystery of the kidnapping soon leads the group down a dark path full of secrets and danger, pushing them to the breaking point. Ultimately, the group must decide how far they are willing to go to get justice.

From Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, starring William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Rated R

Fargo is an American crime-comedy-drama film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and released in 1996. The story follows a car dealership employee, Jerry Lundegaard, who is desperate for money and hires two criminals to kidnap his wife in exchange for a substantial ransom from her wealthy father. Things don't go according to plan, however, and the ensuing events lead to a series of darkly humorous and violent consequences. The film stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, and Harve Presnell. The Coen brothers were heavily influenced by the crime genre, drawing inspiration from the works of filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Robert Altman. The film was a critical and commercial success, and won numerous awards, including two Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah
Rated R

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is the 2004 sequel to director Quentin Tarantino's hit 2003 film, Kill Bill: Vol. 1. The film stars Uma Thurman as "The Bride", an assassin seeking revenge on her former mentor and lover, Bill (David Carradine). Having already killed two of the Deadly Vipers, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) and Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), the Bride continues her quest, taking on Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah). In the process, she discovers the truth about her former master and the reason for her attempted assassination. She also meets up with her daughter, who she left behind when she set off on her mission of revenge. Ultimately, the Bride succeeds in killing Bill, completing her revenge. Along the way, she discovers the importance of family and cherishes the little time that she has left with her daughter.

From Rob Reiner, starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen
Rated R

Misery is a psychological horror-thriller film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Kathy Bates, James Caan and Richard Farnsworth. Based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, the film follows novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) who is rescued from a car wreck by a deranged nurse, Annie Wilkes (Bates). Wilkes turns out to be one of Sheldon's biggest fans and holds him captive in her remote home. As Wilkes forces Sheldon to write a novel to her liking, he must find a way to escape before she takes her obsession too far. The film combines elements of horror, suspense, and drama to create a tense and terrifying atmosphere.

From Dan Gilroy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
Rated R

Nightcrawler is a 2014 crime thriller film directed by Dan Gilroy and starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The film follows the story of Louis Bloom, a desperate and ambitious Los Angeles resident who discovers the world of freelance crime journalism. Louis learns the tricks of the trade quickly and begins to make a living by filming horrific, compelling footage of police chases, fires, and murders, which he sells to a local news station. As his skills improve, so does his ambition, leading him to increasingly criminal and dangerous behaviors in order to get the footage he needs. Along the way, he forms an unlikely partnership with a local veteran news producer, and they begin to push ethical boundaries in their pursuit of more lucrative stories. Ultimately, Louis's obsession with getting the perfect shot leads to a dramatic conclusion that forces everyone involved to confront their own moral choices.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins
Rated R

The Hateful Eight is a 2015 mystery western thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern as eight strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in a stagecoach stopover some time after the Civil War. They soon realize that they may not all make it out alive. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, the group must work together to figure out who is friend and who is foe. With a thrilling, intense and captivating atmosphere, The Hateful Eight is a truly remarkable and memorable film.

From David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Rated R

The Game is a 1997 psychological thriller directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a wealthy investment banker whose emotionally distant father has recently committed suicide. In an attempt to reconnect with his family, Nicholas's brother, Conrad (Penn), gives him an unusual birthday gift - a live-action role-playing game created by a mysterious organization. The game begins innocently, but quickly takes a dark and sinister turn, as Nicholas is subjected to a series of elaborate psychological tests and dangerous simulations that threaten his life, fortune, and sanity. As Nicholas struggles to make sense of the increasingly surreal events, he is forced to confront the secrets of his past and question the very nature of reality.

From James Wan, starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Rated R

Saw is a horror/thriller film directed by James Wan. It follows the story of two men, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), who find themselves chained up in a dilapidated bathroom. They discover that a sadistic serial killer named Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is holding them captive and has set up a twisted game to test their will to survive. Through a series of clues and tests, the two men must try to escape the bathroom before they are killed by the killer or by his mechanical traps. The film is set over a 24-hour period, and as it progresses, the horrifying truth behind Jigsaw's intentions is revealed, leading to a terrifying and unexpected conclusion.

From David Lynch, starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, John Roselius, Louis Eppolito
Rated R

Lost Highway is a psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch. The film follows the story of jazz musician Fred Madison, who is accused of murdering his wife, Renee. Fred begins to receive mysterious videotapes at his home that seem to be connected to the crime. As Fred's life spirals out of control, he is drawn into a surreal nightmare. Along the way, he discovers the truth behind the murder and his own identity. As the story unfolds, viewers are taken on a journey into questions of reality, identity, and paranoia.

From Mary Harron, starring Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage
Rated R

American Psycho is a 2000 dark satirical black comedy thriller film that follows the story of a wealthy Manhattan investment banker named Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). By day, Patrick appears to have it all, but by night he is a serial killer who indulges in violent and gruesome acts of murder and torture. He is obsessed with his own physical appearance, his luxurious lifestyle, and the admiration of those around him. As his violent behavior escalates, friends and colleagues start to become suspicious of his activities, eventually leading to a shocking conclusion.

From Michael Haneke, starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering
Rated Not Rated

Funny Games is a 1997 psychological thriller film written and directed by Michael Haneke. The film follows a wealthy family who are taken hostage by two deranged young men while on vacation. Ann, Georg, and their son Georgie are terrorized by the two men, Paul and Peter, who are intent on playing cruel psychological games with the family. As the men’s twisted games escalate, the family is forced to fight for their lives in order to survive the ordeal. The film is a commentary on the television and media’s influence on our society and reflects on the idea of violence being a form of entertainment. Funny Games is a tense and suspenseful exploration of how violence can be used in a psychological way to manipulate and control people.