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. The film stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter who teams up with a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to rescue Django's wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from the treacherous plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Along their journey, they encounter a cast of characters, both dangerous and comical, as they traverse the American South of the pre-Civil War era. The film ultimately culminates in a violent shootout at Candie's plantation, with Django and Schultz ultimately succeeding in freeing Broomhilda and killing Candie and his followers.

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

Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film stars Robert De Niro as a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran working as a nighttime taxi driver. As he suffers from insomnia, he spends his time working as a cabbie, observing the city and writing a personal diary. His relentless efforts to liberate a twelve-year-old prostitute played by Jodie Foster, and his sudden descent into violence when his attempts are frustrated, make Taxi Driver one of the most iconic films of the 1970s. The film has become an important reference point for subsequent debates about violence and its relation to the media. Taxi Driver also received several awards, including four Academy Award nominations.

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

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film. The film follows Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), an elderly Korean War veteran living in a rapidly changing Detroit neighborhood. After Kowalski's neighbor, Thao Vang Lor, is coerced into stealing his beloved 1972 Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to protect the young man and his family from the local gang. As the two slowly build a relationship, Kowalski is forced to confront his own long-held prejudices and the dark secrets of his past. In the end, Kowalski comes to terms with his past and finds redemption in defending the Lor family. Gran Torino is a powerful exploration of race, redemption, and the power of friendship.

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

Taken is an action-packed thriller starring Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent who embarks on a violent quest to rescue his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) who has been kidnapped by an Albanian human trafficking ring while vacationing in France. With the help of a former colleague, Jean-Claude (Olivier Rabourdin), Bryan tracks the kidnappers to Paris, engaging in a series of brutal confrontations to get his daughter back. With time running out, Bryan has to use every bit of his expert training to defeat the kidnappers and save his daughter. Along the way, he discovers a much larger criminal enterprise at work and is forced to confront it head-on in order to protect his daughter. In the end, Bryan manages to rescue Kim, but not without a few close calls and a lot of collateral damage.

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

The Boondock Saints is a 1999 action-crime-thriller film directed by Troy Duffy. The film follows two Irish Catholic brothers, Connor and Murphy McManus (played by Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) who take justice into their own hands and become vigilantes. After killing two mobsters in Boston, the brothers become known as the “Saints” and become wanted by the FBI and local crime syndicates. As the stakes get higher, the brothers enlist their childhood friend Rocco (Billy Connolly) to help them in their mission to take out the mobsters. The film was well-received by critics and developed a cult following, becoming a cult classic. The movie explores complex themes of morality and vigilante justice, as the brothers find themselves struggling to reconcile their divine mission with their own personal beliefs.

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, starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. It follows the story of John Creasy (Washington), a burned out former CIA agent who is hired as a bodyguard to protect nine-year old Pita Ramos (Fanning). After a failed kidnapping attempt, Creasy is left for dead, and vows to exact revenge on those responsible for Pita's abduction. With the help of Mexican D.T.P. agent Mariana (Radha Mitchell), Creasy embarks on a mission of vengeance and redemption as he attempts to save Pita from her captors. The film features an intense, gripping story, as well as exhilarating action sequences.

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

Falling Down is a 1993 drama film directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. The film follows the story of William "D-Fens" Foster (Douglas), a divorced and unemployed father who has reached his breaking point due to a series of events in his life, leading him to lose control and embark on a violent and destructive journey across Los Angeles. Along the way, he is pursued by a police officer (Duvall) who is determined to put an end to Foster's rampage. The film explores themes of anger, alienation, and modern-day societal pressures. Foster's journey provides a darkly humorous take on the contemporary American experience.

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

"Kick-Ass" is a 2010 British-American superhero black comedy film based on the comic book series of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. It is the story of an average teenager, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who decides to become a real-life superhero, calling himself "Kick-Ass". With no special powers, training or money, he quickly learns that it takes more than a costume to fight crime. As he gains notoriety, he joins forces with a father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), to take on a formidable mob boss, Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). Together, they take on the villainous forces that threaten the city. In the process, Dave discovers the power of friendship, courage and self-respect.

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 follows Richard (Paddy Considine), a soldier returning to his rural hometown in the Midlands of England to avenge the mistreatment of his mentally-challenged younger brother, Anthony (Toby Kebbell). Upon his return, Richard targets a group of local drug dealers and their enforcer, Sonny (Gary Stretch), who are responsible for Anthony’s suffering. Richard exacts revenge against them with a series of brutal vigilante attacks, culminating in a violent and bloody showdown. As Richard becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous, he also begins to realize the consequences of his actions. The film is a dark and disturbing exploration of the lengths humans will go to in order to exact revenge.

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

Munich is a 2005 historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg. The film follows a team of Mossad agents tasked with assassinating the 11 Palestinian members of Black September who were responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre. The agents, led by Avner Kauffman, struggle with the psychological consequences of their actions and the moral dilemma of their mission as they encounter danger and betrayal. The team is eventually successful in its mission, but their actions take a heavy toll on their lives. The film is an exploration of the moral and psychological effects of violence, and how one's actions can have lasting and powerful consequences.

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