5 Best Revenge Movies Of All Time, Ranked

When it comes to payback stories, there's enough examples to pull from movie history to ensure you're not left shortchanged. So many stories have sent characters to their breaking point, until the only action is a reaction, one that often has bad guys wallowing in their own tears, apologizing for crossing the wrong person, or making a last stand in an epic blaze of glory.

Angry gunslingers, betrayed war generals, and miffed high-schoolers have all been dealt a bad hand at some point on the big screen, and the retribution they seek has made for some incredibly engrossing narratives. Some have come with a high body count, others have only required one person to get the justice they deserve. More often than not, there have also been rare instances where, in the end, revenge just wasn't enough. All that's left is regret, which is sometimes more impactful on the audience.

After careful consideration, we've put together a quintet of movies that have seen characters pushed to their last nerve and beyond. Are these flicks enjoyable to watch? Absolutely. But one thing is certain — we're just glad we didn't find ourselves on the receiving end of any the fictional resolutions discussed below.

A bucket of pig's blood and incessant bullying are enough to push Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) to the edge in the first Stephen King adaptation that ever hit our screens with "Carrie." The result is a band of school bullies getting exactly what they deserve. Brian De Palma's take on the teen with telekinesis still makes viewers' blood boil, as the daughter of a God-fearing woman just wants to be left alone, only to be misled into thinking she actually has friends. Unfortunately, Nancy Allen's leader of the pack — Carrie's bully — has other plans in mind, and most everyone burns in one of the most satisfying but equally terrifying heel turns in horror.

Unlike a lot of movies in this pile, Carrie's revenge isn't planned or a lengthy mission, but the result of a girl who reaches her breaking point and snaps in spectacular fashion. Against the slew of horror films that have seen teens being killed off in gory fashion at the hands of unstoppable killers, "Carrie" feels more rewarding: Those who are being targeted are (mostly) deserving of the ends they meet. It's the kind of revenge story that is worth revisiting, which is exactly why an equally talented storyteller, Mike Flanagan, will be putting his spin on things when the "Carrie" series arrives later this year.

As well as being one of the best Westerns ever made, "Once Upon A Time in the West" is a revenge story that takes its time in revealing itself to be so. Charles Bronson is the harmonica-playing loner who hops off a train to be greeted by one of the greatest standoffs in cinema history, with his sights set on Henry Fonda's cold-blooded killer, Frank. Meanwhile, this blue-eyed bad guy (a rare but brilliant turn from Fonda) is doing his best to run a widow (Claudia Cardinale) off her land, so that it can be snatched up by a railway tycoon.

Besides Leone applying the rule of three once again with a new trio of good, bad, and ugly characters, Bronson's Harmonica takes his time in exacting his revenge and is incredibly cool while doing so. He's a mysterious Grim Reaper that helps and hinders his target in equal measure, gunning down anyone who is trying to get the man he's after, until it's his time to take a shot. Even if you're not into the genre, this is a western that's worth a look, where every frame is truly a painting — and the mission of vengeance is just as sweet even after all this time. Just don't blame us if you want to learn the harmonica when you're done.

To not include "John Wick" on the list would probably invoke the rage of the Baba Yaga himself. Keanu Reeves' action classic that doesn't have him dodging bullets might have a wafer-thin story, but an ex-hitman getting his car pinched (and his dog shot) somehow managed to spawn a franchise, including a few spin-offs. And you know what? We totally get it.

Much like the titular hired gun himself, it's all in the execution with "John Wick." Director Chad Stahelski takes his time in revealing just how much of a monster John can be. Writer and creator Derek Kolstad's exposition dump, delivered by the late Michael Nyqvist, is one for the history books, as he explains to his misinformed son (Alfie Allen) just how screwed he is. That this "man of focus, commitment, sheer will" once killed three men in a bar with a pencil, and he's not even fired off a shot yet, is exciting to the audience — not so for the film's antagonists.

From this kicking-off point, Keanu Reeves goes on to dispatch goons with brutal and sometimes bone-crunching efficiency in what's been dubbed of the greatest action movies ever made. There's little complexity to this journey, either — no halfway point that asks if John has lost himself on his solo mission to set things right. Instead, it's just Keanu Reeves storming the first of many nightclubs in a showing that would cement his legacy as an action icon.

You know the line by now, because it's probably one of the greatest ones from director Ridley Scott — delivered in one of his best movies. "Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife," and master of the mic drop long before microphones were invented, General Maximus (Russell Crowe) enacts a mission of revenge against Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in ancient Rome. "Gladiator" plays host to one of the most epic payback stories ever committed to film. While it might be tarnished by the so-so sequel that eventually arrived 24 years later, "Gladiator" remains a gripping story that serves the villains their just desserts through blood, sand, and chest-pounding speeches that echo in eternity.

Russell Crowe won an Oscar for his performance as the titular worn-down war hero. His grief, rage, and good old-fashioned heroism are what make Maximus' revenge story such a memorable one. However, the real winning ingredient is the man the vengeance is aimed at. Crowe's big reveal in the Colosseum is only great because Phoenix's rollercoaster of emotions at the man he thought was dead — whom he can't kill — makes it a moment that will always be worth relishing.

They were two men at the start of great careers, led by a director entering his prime. Christopher Nolan might've gone on to deliver masterful works like "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer," but "The Prestige," besides still standing as one of his most overlooked films, is a truly incredible revenge story anchored by a pair of exceptional performances. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play a pair of magicians in Victorian London, who, following a tragic event, drive each other to ruin and retaliation — and that can only end one way.

Aiding them on their journey are the likes of Nolan's early lucky charm, Michael Caine (as a magical engineer, Cutter) as well as a heartbreaking turn from Rebecca Hall — not to mention the always-cool David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. Together, they put in the work to deliver a jaw-dropping story of magic, deception, and drive, which is all the more rewarding after repeat viewings.

While most of the films on this list will show the relief that can come from revenge and the satisfaction that justice has been served, "The Prestige" does the opposite. Beyond the flair of Angier (Jackman) and the dedication of Borden (Bale), the film's real magic trick is a dark and deceptive view on how revenge can consume more than one life, until there's nothing left. If, by some miracle, you've still not seen this movie, seek it out and, above all, watch very closely.