Revenge
Reviews
Gimly
The kick in the pants that exploitation films needs. _Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._
ausher8
Revenge had so much going for it. The acting was surprisingly good. The symbolism was well done. She actually looked like she'd gone through hell in the desert with dirty hair and grime. Camerawork and the setting was outstanding. Unfortunately the first conflict, which is the basis for the rest of the movie, ended up being way over the top and completely unbelievable. Not to mention the ridiculous amounts of blood everywhere. I wanted more relatable believability and less pointless gore.
Stephen Campbell
**_Gory, but brilliant_** > _It was very important for Jen to be fully objectified at the beginning of the film, to show that she is at ease with her body and how she uses it, at ease with how she seduces men and attracts male attention. But what I'm trying to get across is that this is not the problem, but rather that the male characters believe that the way she looks authorises them to treat her as though she is to be used and then disposed of like a worthless piece of rubbish. The male gaze in film often implies that women are to blame for acts of sexual violence committed against them,_ _which is deeply problematic. Through each male character, I wanted to show the different abusive behaviours that, to a large extent, have become normalised in today's society._ - Coralie Fargeat; "Exclusive Interview with _Revenge_ Director Coralie Fargeat"; _Bird's Eye View_ (December 5, 2018) Jen (a superb Matilda Lutz) and her married lover Richard (Kevin Janssens) are enjoying a romantic weekend in his isolated house in the desert. However, shortly after they arrive, Richard's friends, Stan (Vincent Colombe), Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchède), and Roberto (Jean-Louis Tribes) show up unannounced, urging Richard to join them on a hunting trip. As tension mounts in the house, Stan rapes Jen, but when she says she is going to go to the police, and to alert Richard's wife of his affair, the men attack her and leave her for dead. However, unbeknownst to them, she survives the assault, and has set on revenge. Very much in the vein of films such as Sam Peckingpah's _Strawdogs_ (1971) and Meir Zarchi's _I Spit On Your Grave_ (1978), _Revenge_ is an insanely gory rape-revenge thriller. In her feature debut, writer/director Coralie Fargeat displays an astonishing visual panache as she reappropriates this exploitative sub-genre for the post #MeToo era. From the expansive Ford-esque vistas of the desert to the claustrophobic and labyrinthine finale, her visual language is as dexterous and thematically justified as one would expect from a master stylist such as Michael Mann. The film is very much about the dangers and darker implications of the male gaze, and the way Fargeat's constantly moving camera lingers on actress Matilda Lutz's half-naked body is deeply unsettling, challenging the audience to look at her in the same way the male characters do, before turning this notion on its head in the second half of the film. If you can ignore the plot contrivances, and stomach the gore, you will find a socially relevant film that is as auspicious a debut as you're likely to see all year.
ceefoo
SPOILER REVIEW For the first half hour or so the movie looks like being your standard revenge thriller, but then the tone of the movie takes a dramatic unexpected shift. It's at this point our protagonist, Jen, falls off a cliff and lands onto a tree below in which a branch impales her through the back and out through her midriff. After what in all seriousness should've been a fatal fall you're left thinking; "Surely she's dead, right?" I mean, I know action flicks are far fetched, but surely they aren't gonna just write this off as the equivalent to a grazed knee. Half an hour in and you've seemingly killed off the main character, hmm. Is her identical twin or ghost or something going to take revenge, you're left wondering? Even if she were somehow to miraculously survive, there's no way she'd be in any condition to take Revenge. Alas, she does survive and she finds a novel way to free herself from the tree she is impaled and suspended from. _Note: this is the part in the movie when you turn your brain off._ After bleeding out for hours in the desert heat, our heroine spots a lighter on the ground within reaching distance. Remember this part; she's in reaching distance from the ground, got that! She comes to the conclusion that the best way to free herself is to **burn the tree down.** That's right, she's going to burn the tree down of which she is impaled just feet from the ground where a fire is burning below her. Genius! Anyway, her big brained plan actually works and she manages to get down without burning herself alive. Skip ahead to where she needs to patch herself up. Next task is to fix the gaping wound running through her body. She finds a cave after acquiring some supplies and you're thinking the 'Rambo scene' must be coming up where she cauterizes the wound. Now I'm no stranger to suspending my disbelief, but what happens next defies all logic and reason. She recalls she stashed some peyote in her locket from earlier. According to her now ex-boyfriend, you can cut your own leg off no problem with this stuff and you won''t even feel it, so it'll pass for a painkiller. Instead of pouring gunpowder into her open wound and then lighting it, she decides to go the 'heated beer can route.' Not just any beer can, MEXICAN BEER - with a nifty eagle logo. After branding herself with the hot metal beer can it magically seals up her back wound also. Ah, the wonders of modern medical care. As an extra to her life saving self-surgery, she picked up a new eagle tattoo imprinted from beer can. There appears to be some witchcraft at work also, because instead of leaving a negative print (a reverse image) the eagle's logo along with its text are transferred the correct way around. You can't help but laugh out loud. This is one of many plot holes throughout the movie that are so gaping (like the one that should still be visible in Jen's back) you cannot help be drawn to them. Mirror images seem to be a theme as you'll notice later in the movie. At this time, Jen has taken on a kind of Mary Sue meets Rambo persona. She doesn't need blood, food or water to survive; or internal organs for that matter, and she has an essence of indestructibility. The film has entered a kind of dark comedy territory. We proceed in the story when she hunts down her transgressors and it turns out Jen's not the only one who can withstand near fatal damage. The Friday the 13th franchise passes more for realism at this stage in comparison and the movie more resembles an outrageous music video. In summary: Revenge is mildly entertaining if you can get past its absurdity and idiotic plot holes. Unfortunately, that's where it has to lose so many marks for me. The filmmakers treat their audience as morons and you cannot ignore so many obvious errors. That ruined the experience for me. **Verdict: 2/10**
Movie Recommendation
Revenge1990-02-16Michael ‘Jay’ Cochran has just left the Navy after 12 years and he's not quite sure what he's going to do, except that he knows he wants a holiday. He decides to visit Tiburon Mendez, a powerful but shady Mexican businessman who he once flew to Alaska for a hunting trip. Arriving at the Mendez mansion in Mexico, he is immediately surprised by the beauty and youth of Mendez’s wife, Miryea.More...
Downrange2018-05-25Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.More...
The Cured2017-11-24What happens when the undead return to life? In a world ravaged for years by a virus that turns the infected into zombie-like cannibals, a cure is at last found and the wrenching process of reintegrating the survivors back into society begins.More...
Possum2018-10-26A disgraced children's puppeteer returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured him his entire life.More...
The Endless2017-11-05Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.More...
I Still See You2018-09-27Ten years after an apocalyptic event left the world haunted by ghosts, Roni receives a threatening message from beyond the grave. Joining forces with a mysterious classmate, Kirk, Roni descends into a shadow world that blurs the bounds of the living and the dead-and begins a desperate race against time to stop a cunning killer.More...
The Fall of the American Empire2018-06-28A shy and insecure delivery driver arrives on the scene of a robbery-gone-wrong and picks up two bags of cash and hides them in his truck. He is interrogated by two tough police detectives and manages to evade suspicion but he is warned that whoever owns the money will be looking for it. Only the help of a prostitute and a former biker recently released from jail might get him out of trouble.More...
The Awakener2018-11-01Miguel is a federal agent, highly trained and skilled in weapons. After experiencing trauma in his personal life, he sets out on a journey of revenge, assuming the identity of a masked vigilante. The Awakener decides to do justice with his own hands by exterminating corrupt politicians.More...
You Deserve a Lover2019-09-11Lila has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend and is disappointed, frustrated and hurt. Looking for love and intimacy, she engages in a series of short-term relationships, while her friends offer up bad advice and her ex tries to win her back.More...
The Pact2018-08-17Suddenly, Clara, Mónica's daughter, falls into a deep coma. With Clara left to die, a mysterious man proposes Monica to make a pact: Clara will be saved if Mónica does something for him.More...
Jackals2017-09-01Set in the 1980s, an estranged family hires a cult deprogrammer to take back their teenage son from a murderous cult, but find themselves under siege when the cultists surround their cabin, demanding the boy back.More...
The Lure2015-12-25Two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man.More...
The Returned2013-11-15In a post-zombie world, where the infected live normal lives, their retroviral drug is running out.More...
Monster Party2018-11-02Three teenage thieves infiltrate a mansion dinner party, unaware that it is secretly being hosted by a serial killer cult for the social elite.More...
McQueen2018-06-08Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.More...
Chéri2009-04-08The son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love.More...
Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes2015-12-26A defiant warrior-monk arrives at Kublai Khan's court in chains and soon earns his tragic nickname in this 30-minute origin story.More...
All Love Songs2018-11-08Chico and Ana move to an apartment in São Paulo. As they unpack Ana found a cassette tape. It's a mix-tape that Clarisse made 20 years earlier to her husband Daniel. Albeit separated by time, both stories will cross paths in a unique way.More...
Future World2018-05-25A young boy searches a future world wasteland for a rumored cure for his dying mother.More...
Ride2018-09-06Kyle and Max are two extreme sports athletes, two riders in continuous challenge and search for money. When they find out of the enigmatic proposal for a mysterious contest by an unknown organization, Black Babylon, they can’t turn down the $ 150,000 prize. But the “contest” will turn out to be much darker and deadlier than expected.More...
Similar Movies
Batman
1989-06-21Having witnessed his parents' brutal murder as a child, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne fights crime in Gotham City disguised as Batman, a costumed hero who strikes fear into the hearts of villains. But when a deformed madman known as 'The Joker' seizes control of Gotham's criminal underworld, Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis ever while protecting both his identity and his love interest, reporter Vicki Vale.Batman Begins
2005-06-10Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.Terminator 2: Judgmen...
1991-07-03Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.Strange Days
1995-10-13Former policeman Lenny Nero has moved into a more lucrative trade: the illegal sale of virtual reality-like recordings that allow users to experience the emotions and past experiences of others. While they typically contain tawdry incidents, Nero is shocked when he receives one showing a murder.Ocean's Thirteen
2007-06-05Danny Ocean's team of criminals are back and composing a plan more personal than ever. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank doublecrosses Reuben Tishkoff, causing a heart attack, Danny Ocean vows that he and his team will do anything to bring down Willy Bank along with everything he's got. Even if it means asking for help from an enemy.Catwoman
2004-07-22Liquidated after discovering a corporate conspiracy, mild-mannered graphic artist Patience Phillips washes up on an island, where she's resurrected and endowed with the prowess of a cat — and she's eager to use her new skills... as a vigilante. Before you can say "cat and mouse", handsome gumshoe Tom Lone is on her tail, fascinated by both of her personas.Batman Returns
1992-06-19The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she's transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.A Nightmare on Elm St...
1984-11-09Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world...Miller's Crossing
1990-09-21Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.Kill Bill: Vol. 2
2004-04-16The Bride unwaveringly continues on her roaring rampage of revenge against the band of assassins who had tried to kill her and her unborn child. She visits each of her former associates one-by-one, checking off the victims on her Death List Five until there's nothing left to do … but kill Bill.Asian School Girls
2014-04-15Kidnapped by a Los Angeles crime syndicate, a group of schoolgirls must fight and seduce their way to vengeance after one of them committed suicide, teaching the criminals a lesson in kicking butt and taking names.Dogville
2003-05-21A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town, she learns that their support has a price.Spider-Man 3
2007-05-01The seemingly invincible Spider-Man goes up against an all-new crop of villains—including the shape-shifting Sandman. While Spider-Man’s superpowers are altered by an alien organism, his alter ego, Peter Parker, deals with nemesis Eddie Brock and also gets caught up in a love triangle.Die Hard
1988-07-15NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.Starship Troopers
1997-11-07Set in the future, the story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "the Bugs."The Ring
2002-10-18Rachel Keller is a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. Rachel tracks down the video... and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery of the Ring so she can save herself and her son.Frenzy
1972-05-25London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.The Experiment
2001-03-0820 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.Jaws: The Revenge
1987-07-17After another deadly shark attack, Ellen Brody decides she has had enough of New England's Amity Island and moves to the Caribbean to join her son, Michael, and his family. But a great white shark has followed her there, hungry for more lives.Silent Hill
2006-04-21Rose, a desperate mother takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears and Rose begins a desperate search to get her back. She descends into the center of the twisted reality of a town's terrible secret. Pursued by grotesquely deformed creatures and townspeople stuck in permanent purgatory, Rose begins to uncover the truth behind the apocalyptic disaster that burned the town 30 years earlier.