Movies with a revenge plot fall under a genre that dates back to early modern Britain. The first work was The Spanish Tragedy, written by Thomas Kyd in the second half of the 16th century. Since then, it has expanded vastly. This genre has a certain appeal as it captures a deep emotion.
While the concept is straightforward and well-known, few movies have presented it in a truly original way. So, we’ve selected the 10 best revenge movies on HBO Max for you.
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I Know What You Did Last Summer
Director: Jim Gillespie
Writer: Lois Duncan, Kevin Williamson
Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche
IMDb Rating: 5.8
Runtime: 1 hr.41 mins
An American slasher film modeled on a novel with the same title by Lois Dunken. The film was released on October 17, 1997, and people gave mixed reviews. However, it was a commercial success and earned $125 million globally compared to the $17 million budget.
Its story follows four young friends connected because of a tragic incident. They reunite when they discover someone stalking them in their small town.
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Jonah Hex
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Writer: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor, William Farmer
Cast: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich
IMDb Rating: 4.7
Runtime: 1 hr. 21 mins
It’s an American superhero film based on a DC comic character with the same name. The film was released in the US in 2010.
Its story focuses on a broken bounty hunter with charges on his neck to clear his name. However, in return, he has to prevent a terrorist who is about to bring Utter chaos.
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Safe
Director: Boaz Yakin
Writer: Boaz Yakin
Cast: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Runtime: 1 hr.34 mins
It’s an American action thriller released by Lionsgate Films on April 27, 2012. Safe earned favorable and unfavorable reviews from critics, grossing over $40.6 million against its $30 million budget.
A young girl, Mei, has a valuable numerical code in her memory. She is being searched by the Russian mob and corrupt NYC police. A former cage fighter whose life was obliterated by the goons comes to Mei’s rescue.
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Max Payne
Director: John Moore
Writer: Beau Thorne, Sam Lake
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis,Beau Bridges
IMDb Rating: 5.3
Runtime: 1 hr.40 mins
The 2008 neo-noir action thriller Max Payne is built on the Remedy Entertainment video game line of the same title.
Max Payne’s story follows a police investigator and an executioner who team up to investigate a string of murders in New York. But they will be chased by the cops, the mob, and a ruthless organization.
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Reservation Road
Director: Terry George
Writer: John Burnham Schwartz, Terry George
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Runtime: 1 hr.42 mins
It’s an American crime drama built on John Burnham Schwartz’s book of the same name. The film premiered in theatres on October 19, 2007.
After a fatal accident on Reservation Road, two families’ livelihoods are forever altered.
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Double Jeopardy
Director: Bruce Beresford
Writer: David Weisberg, Douglas Cook
Cast: Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Greenwood
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Runtime: 1 hr.45 mins
An American criminal thriller Double Jeopardy was released on September 24, 1999. It garnered mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $177 million.
A lady falsely accused of killing her husband believes he is still alive. She wants to kill her husband if she finds him, as she can’t be punished again.
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Fire with Fire
Director: David Barrett
Writer: Tom O’Connor, Lowell Cauffiel
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson
IMDb Rating: 5.6
Runtime: 1 hr.37 mins
Fire with Fire, an American action thriller movie, was launched on November 6, 2012, direct-to-video on DVD and Blu-ray. The film won Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing – Direct to Video – Live Action.
Its story follows a fireman being ordered to face the neo-Naz murderer.
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Killer Elite
Director: Gary McKendry
Writer: Matt Sherring, Ranulph Fiennes
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Runtime: 1 hr.56 mins
Adapted from Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 1991 book The Feather Men, Killer Elite (2011) is an action thriller movie. The movie was nominated for the 2nd AACTA Award for Best Production Design and Visual Effects.
It begins when a hired murderer is forced into action after an Arab Sheik kidnaps his mentor. He is assigned to eliminate three elite Air Service members from Britain responsible for his son’s death.
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War
Director: Philip G. Atwell
Writer: Lee Anthony Smith, Gregory J. Bradley
Cast: Jet Li, Jason Statham, Nadine Velazquez
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Runtime: 1 hr.43 mins
It’s an American action thriller released in the US on August 24, 2007. Rogue was the actual working title for War – it was altered to avoid confusion with another movie of the same title.
An FBI officer seeks retribution against the enigmatic killer known only as “Rogue” for the murder of his companion.
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Memento
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Runtime: 1 hr.53 mins
The neo-noir mystery-thriller movie Memento was released in the US on March 16, 2001. Critics complimented its nonlinear design, vision, grief, and self-deceptive themes. The film received a nomination for Oscar in the category of Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
It’s a story of a guy with short-term memory loss who tries to find the person who killed his wife.
