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Rape and revenge, or rape-revenge, is a
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
subgenre characterized by an individual enacting revenge for rape or other sexual acts committed against them or others. Rape and revenge films are also commonly
thrillers Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping, subgenres, including crime, horror, and detective fiction. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving their audiences heightened feelings of suspe ...
or vigilante films. Notable for its graphic depiction of violence, rape, torture, and sexual imagery, rape and revenge films have attracted critical attention and controversy, often gaining a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and retrospectively associated with the
New French Extremity New French Extremity describes a range of French films made at the turn of the 21st century that were considered extreme or transgressive. Films of the New French Extremity are characterized by graphic depictions of violence, especially sexual vio ...
,
underground cinema An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. Notable examples include John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'', David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'', Andy Warhol's ''Blue Movie'', Rosa von Praunheim's ''Tal ...
, and
arthouse cinema An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...
.


Themes and characteristics

"''Rape and revenge''" was the pioneer and, so far, most controversial film hybrid-genre of the mid-20th century that focuses on the main protagonist. It has pioneered and is considered controversial for the portrayal of female (main) characters who become anti-hero(s)/
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
(s) that engage in a vicious plot to eliminate the perpetrator/
rapist Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person wh ...
(s) who have harmed them. There is some debate as to whether or not the revenge must be carried out by the assault victim to be considered part of this genre, or if it may be carried out by their loved ones as well . Each early films rose in prominence in the 1970s and relied heavily on the shock value of brutal rape scenes, followed by the even larger shock of the main character's sadistic revenge.


History

The genre stems from a fascination with
revenge Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
in western culture, beginning with the descriptive tragedies of the Greeks and continuing in
Elizabethan England The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...
(by
Thomas Kyd Thomas Kyd (baptised 6 November 1558; buried 15 August 1594) was an English playwright, the author of ''The Spanish Tragedy'', and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama. Although well known in his own time, ...
and
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
). This desire for revenge or to experience revenge has also been the catalyst of many horror films and novels in general, not just those dealing with sexual assault and rape. The hybrid-genre's most well known and well labeled works are from the latter half of the 20th century, except the 1931's film ''
A Woman Branded ''A Woman Branded'' or ''Dangers of Love'' (German: ''Gefahren der Liebe'') is a 1931 German drama film directed by Eugen Thiele and starring Toni van Eyck, Elsa Bassermann and Hans Stüwe. It was shot at the Terra Studios in Berlin.Klaus p.9 ...
'', which is about a woman who was raped and contracted
venereal disease A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...
and seeks revenge on the man who raped her. It is possibly considered as the earliest precursor of the "''rape and revenge''" subgenre, retrospectively ''.''


The Virgin Spring

In 1960, the term 'rape and revenge''" was coined in
Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...
's ''The Virgin Spring'', considered the earliest film and precursor of the subgenre; the film is about a father who seeks vengeance on three herdsmen for the rape and murder of his daughter. This film however is technically a "Rape and Avange" film as it is not the victim herself that does the killings. According to director
Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...
, inspiration for the film came from the legend of Per Töre, which he read as a student. Per Töre has seven daughters who fall victim to seven rapists. He was also heavily influenced by
Japanese cinema The , also known domestically as , has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2022, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced, producing 634 fi ...
, being particularly a fan of ''
Rashomon is a 1950 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shinobu Hashimoto. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura, it follows various people who describe how a ...
'' (1950).


The Phantom of Soho

The 1964
Bryan Edgar Wallace Bryan Edgar Wallace (1904–1971) was a British writer. The son of the writer Edgar Wallace, Bryan was also a writer of crime and mystery novels which were very similar in style to those of his father. He was named after the American politician ...
"Krimi"
The Phantom of Soho ''The Phantom of Soho'' (German: ''Das Phantom von Soho'') is a 1964 West German thriller film directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Dieter Borsche, Barbara Rütting and Hans Söhnker.Bergfelder p.258 It was based on a novel by Bryan Ed ...
was the first movie to have the rape-victim herself become a serial revenge killer. The production company
CCC CCC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * CCC, the production code for the 1970 ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Ambassadors of Death'' * Color Climax Corporation, a Danish pornography producer * Comics Campaign Council, a British pressure grou ...
infused this storyline later into the iconography of the
Giallo In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...
in co-producing the seminal
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' () is a 1970 ''giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. It stars Tony Musante as an American writer in Rome who witnesses a serial killer targeting young women and tries ...
that has a similar theme. The 1973's film ''
Thriller – A Cruel Picture ''Thriller – A Cruel Picture'' () is a 1973 Swedish rape-and-revenge exploitation film written and directed by Bo Arne Vibenius under the pseudonym Alex Fridolinski, and starring Christina Lindberg and Heinz Hopf. It tells the story of a mute ...
'' definitively codified the ethics and development of the genre, although the film was permanently banned in the same country.


Influences and pioneers

After the following U.S. release of ''The Virgin Spring'', it inspired
Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Amongst his Wes Craven filmography, prolific filmography, Craven worked primarily in the Horror film, horror genre, particularly sla ...
's debut '' The Last House on the Left'', which is based on both Bergman's film and Swedish ballad " Töres döttrar i Wänge". Like the Bergman's film, the plot of '' The Last House on the Left'' is carried by the two victim's parents exact vengeance to the criminals. In some cases, the film was more brutal and controversial than the Bergman's film, due to explicit rape and mutilation. In the United States, it continues to produce several rape and revenge films in the 1970s including
Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received two Academy Award nominations and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Instit ...
's '' Straw Dogs'',
Michael Winner Michael Robert Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was an English filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several c ...
's '' Death Wish'',
Lamont Johnson Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards. Early years Johnson was born in Stockton, C ...
's ''
Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...
'', and
Meir Zarchi Meir Zarchi (; born 1937) is an Israeli-American film director, screenwriter and producer. Career Zarchi's first professional film credit came from providing the story for the 1962 Israeli drama, ''Nini (1962 film), Nini''. Zarchi's first film ...
's ''
I Spit on Your Grave ''I Spit on Your Grave'' (originally titled ''Day of the Woman'') is a 1978 American rape and revenge film written and directed by Meir Zarchi. The film tells the story of Jennifer Hills ( Camille Keaton), a fiction writer based in New York ...
''; some of them are mainly screened in mainstream theaters, while others were screened independently in underground cinemas as
exploitation films An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...
. In addition to American films, rape and revenge films have been made in the Philippines (e.g.;
Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. His filmography often addressed the co ...
's ''
Insiang ''Insiang'' () is a 1976 Philippine drama film directed by Lino Brocka. Its screenplay, written by Mario O'Hara and Lamberto Antonio, Lamberto E. Antonio, is based on O'Hara's teleplay of the same name. Set in the slums of Tondo, Manila, the film ...
''), Japan (e.g., Takashi Ishii's ''
Freeze Me , or ''Freezer'', is a 2000 Japanese rape and revenge thriller film by director Takashi Ishii. This film stars Harumi Inoue as Chihiro, a rape victim who tries to live a normal life, only to be visited several years later by her three rapists i ...
''), Finland, Russia ('' The Voroshilov Sharpshooter''), Argentina (e.g., ''I'll Never Die Alone'';
008 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to: * "008", a fictional 00 Agent In Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the derived films, the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the secret service's elite. A 00 (pronounced "Double O") is a field agent who ho ...
original title: ''No Moriré Sola''), and Norway (e.g., '' The Whore''
009 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight ...
original title: ''Hora'')''.'' Several female directors have tried their hand at the genre to subvert its codes including
Virginie Despentes Virginie Despentes (; born 13 June 1969) is a French writer, novelist, and filmmaker. She is known for her work exploring gender, sexuality, and people who live in poverty or other marginalised conditions. Work Despentes' work is an inventory o ...
' ''
Baise-moi ''Baise-moi'' is a 2000 French erotic crime thriller film written and directed by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi and starring Karen Lancaume and Raffaëla Anderson. It is based on the novel by Despentes, first published in 1993. The ...
'' (2000),
Coralie Fargeat Coralie Fargeat (; born 24 November 1976) is a French filmmaker. She gained recognition with her debut feature film, ''Revenge'' (2017), for which she received awards from several independent film festivals. Her follow-up feature, ''The Substance ...
's ''
Revenge Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
'' (2017),
Jennifer Kent Jennifer Kent is an Australian director, screenwriter, and former actress. She is best known for writing and directing the psychological horror film '' The Babadook'' (2014). Her second film, '' The Nightingale'' (2018), premiered at the 75th ...
's '' The Nightingale'' (2018), and
Emerald Fennell Emerald Lilly Fennell (; born 1 October 1985) is an English actress, filmmaker, and writer. She has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe ...
's ''
Promising Young Woman ''Promising Young Woman'' is a 2020 film written, directed, and co-produced by Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. It stars Carey Mulligan as a troubled young woman haunted by a traumatic past as she navigates forgiveness and ven ...
'' (2020), the latter revitalized the subgenre and garnered multiple awards and nominations''.'' Some of the films, ''
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' is a 2017 crime drama film written, directed, and produced by Martin McDonagh. It stars Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes, a Missouri woman who rents three roadside billboards to draw attention to ...
'' and ''Promising Young Woman'', are subverted examples of the subgenre where a character was raped and murdered off-screen before the protagonist seeks revenge, although both films lack the use of graphic violence and onscreen rape. Motifs of the subgenre, meaning that without being claimed as belonging to the genre, sometimes appears as a subplot in films to take up the codes at one point such as
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
's '' Clockwork Orange'',
Gaspar Noé Gaspar Noé (; ; born 27 December 1963) is an Argentine filmmaker, who lives and worked primarily in France. He is one of the primary exponents of New French Extremity, with his most notable works including the feature films '' I Stand Alone'' ...
's ''
Irréversible ''Irréversible'' () is a 2002 French art thriller film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel, the plot depicts the events of a tragic night in Paris as two men attempt to avenge the ...
'',
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
's ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
'' and ''
Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael ...
'',
Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...
's ''
Dogville ''Dogville'' is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Clarks ...
'', and
Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...
's ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
''.


Explanation of the subgenre

Rape and revenge films generally follow three simple rules of the plot as a
narrative structure Story structure or narrative structure is the recognizable or comprehensible way in which a narrative's different elements are unified, including in a particularly chosen order and sometimes specifically referring to the ordering of the plot: ...
, nearly similar to
three-act structure The three-act structure is a model used in narrative fiction that divides a story into three parts ( acts), often called the Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution. Syd Field described it in his 1979 book ''Screenplay: The Foundations of ...
; # Rape: The main character / victim is (violently) raped and maybe further abused,
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
d or left for dead; the perpetrator(s) sometimes consider the victim dead. # Return: There are two optional decisions whereas to survive or not. #* The main character is heavily devastated by the victim's death. #* The main character / victim barely survives, but is still devastated, and may rehabilitate themselves under psychological circumstances. # Revenge: The main character (and optionally a third-party) exact vengeance and engage in a plot to eliminate their rapist(s). In ''Irréversible'', the structure was reversed, with the first part depicting the revenge before tracing back the events which led to that point.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
argues that, by using this structure as well as a false revenge, ''Irréversible'' cannot be classified as an exploitation film, as no exploitation of the subject matter takes place.


Notable films

* '' 13 Assassins'' (2010) * ''
22 Female Kottayam ''22 Female Kottayam'', also known as ''22FK'', is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Aashiq Abu. Written by Syam Pushkaran and Abhilash S. Kumar. The film stars Rima Kallingal and Fahadh Faasil. It was set and filmed ...
'' * '' 6 Guns'' * ''
American Mary ''American Mary'' is a 2012 Canadian body horror film written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, and Tristan Risk. Isabelle plays a destitute medical student who begins taking clients from the ex ...
'' * '' Avenged'' (2013) * '' Bad Reputation'' (2005) * ''
Bandit Queen ''Bandit Queen'' is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language biographical action-adventure film based on the life of Phoolan Devi as covered in the book ''India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi'' by the Indian author Mala Sen. It was direct ...
'' * ''
Baise-moi ''Baise-moi'' is a 2000 French erotic crime thriller film written and directed by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi and starring Karen Lancaume and Raffaëla Anderson. It is based on the novel by Despentes, first published in 1993. The ...
'' * ''
Big Driver ''Big Driver'' is a novella by American writer Stephen King, published in his collection ''Full Dark, No Stars'' (2010). An excerpt was published in the November 12, 2010 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly''.The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a 1915 American Silent film, silent Epic film, epic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and ...
'' (2016) * ''
Blink Twice ''Blink Twice'' is a 2024 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by Zoë Kravitz (in her directorial debut) from a script she wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. The film stars Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon R ...
'' * ''
The Crow ''The Crow'' is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fianc� ...
'' (1994) * ''
Coward of the County "Coward of the County" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Billy Edd Wheeler and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. The song was released in November 1979 as the second and final single from Rogers' multi-platinum album '' ...
'' * '' Daughter of Darkness'' (1993) * ''
Death Rides a Horse ''Death Rides a Horse'' () is a 1967 Italian spaghetti Western directed by Giulio Petroni, written by Luciano Vincenzoni and starring Lee Van Cleef and John Phillip Law. Plot Bill, a boy whose father was killed and mother and sister were gang-r ...
'' * '' Death Weekend'' * '' Death Wish'' (1974) * ''
Death Wish II ''Death Wish II'' is a 1982 American vigilante action-thriller film directed and co-edited by Michael Winner. It is the sequel to the 1974 film '' Death Wish''. It is the second installment in the ''Death Wish'' film series. In the story, ar ...
'' * '' Demented'' (2010) * '' The Devil All the Time'' * ''
¡Dispara! ''¡Dispara! '' (also known as ''Outrage!'') is a 1993 Spanish drama film directed by Carlos Saura, starring Francesca Neri and Antonio Banderas. The story is a revenge tragedy. Plot Marcos, a young reporter, goes to a circus to write a Sunday ...
'' * ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'' * '' Extremities'' * ''
Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" (, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The earliest known use of the principle appears in the Code of Hammurabi, which predates the wr ...
'' (1996) * '' Fear Island'' * ''
Freeze Me , or ''Freezer'', is a 2000 Japanese rape and revenge thriller film by director Takashi Ishii. This film stars Harumi Inoue as Chihiro, a rape victim who tries to live a normal life, only to be visited several years later by her three rapists i ...
'' * ''
Girls Against Boys Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C., and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Rec ...
'' * ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
) * '' Gone'' (2012) * ''
Grave of the Vampire ''Grave of the Vampire'' is a 1972 American vampire film directed by John Hayes, and starring William Smith, Michael Pataki, and Lyn Peters. Its plot follows a vampire who rapes a living woman, resulting in the birth of a child who feeds only ...
'' * ''
A Gun for Jennifer A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...
'' * '' Gun Woman'' * '' Gutterballs'' * ''
Hannie Caulder ''Hannie Caulder'' is a 1971 British Western (genre), Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, and Ernest Borgnine. Plot Hannie Caulder is a frontier wife, living with her husband at a horse station between ...
'' * ''
Hard Candy A hard candy (American English), or boiled sweet (British English), is a sugar candy prepared from one or more sugar-based syrups that is heated to a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F) to make candy. Among the many hard candy varieti ...
'' * ''The Hills Have Eyes'' (
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
,
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
) * ''
Horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (anatomy) * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * Horns (novel), ''Horns'' (novel), a dar ...
'' (2013) * ''
Hora Hora may refer to: Companies * Hora (company), a Romanian manufacturer of stringed musical instruments People, real & mythological * Hora (pl. Horae), figure from Greek mythology * Hora (surname) * Hora, a member of the Japanese duo Schwarz St ...
'' (2009) * '' The Horseman'' * '' The House of the Spirits'' * ''
I Saw the Devil ''I Saw the Devil'' () is a 2010 South Korean action-thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon and written by Park Hoon-jung. Starring Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik, the film follows NIS agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee), who embarks on a quest for ven ...
'' * ''I Spit on Your Grave'' (
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
,
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
) * '' I Spit on Your Grave 2'' * '' I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance is Mine'' * '' I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu'' * ''
Insiang ''Insiang'' () is a 1976 Philippine drama film directed by Lino Brocka. Its screenplay, written by Mario O'Hara and Lamberto Antonio, Lamberto E. Antonio, is based on O'Hara's teleplay of the same name. Set in the slums of Tondo, Manila, the film ...
'' * ''
Irréversible ''Irréversible'' () is a 2002 French art thriller film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel, the plot depicts the events of a tragic night in Paris as two men attempt to avenge the ...
'' (2002) * '' Jackson County Jail'' * ''
Jungle Warriors ''Jungle Warriors'', also called ''The Czar of Brazil'' (Euer Weg führt durch die Hölle, "Your Path Leads Through Hell", in Germany) is an action film, released in the United States in November 1984. The film was shot in Mexico and the old West ...
'' * ''
Jennifer's Body ''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 American comedy horror film directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody. Starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, J. K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Adam Brody, the film follows Jennifer Chec ...
'' (2009) * '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'' * '' Kill the Rapist?'' * ''
Kuroneko Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). ''Japanese Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Films''. McFarland & Company. is a 1968 Japanese historical drama horror film directed by Kaneto Shindō, and an adaptation of a supernatural folktale. Set during a civi ...
'' * ''
The Ladies Club ''The Ladies Club'' is a 1986 American rape and revenge film directed by Janet Greek (under the pseudonym A.K. Allen), and starring Karen Austin, Diana Scarwid, Christine Belford and Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) ...
'' * '' Lady Snowblood'' * ''The Last House on the Left'' (
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
,
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
) * ''
Last Stop on the Night Train ''Last Stop on the Night Train'' (), also released in English-speaking countries as ''The Night Train Murders'' and ''Late Night Trains'', is a 1975 Italian revenge horror film directed by Aldo Lado and starring Flavio Bucci, Macha Méril, and Ir ...
'' * ''
Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...
'' (1976) * ''
Liquid Sky ''Liquid Sky'' is a 1982 American independent science fiction film directed by Slava Tsukerman and starring Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard. It debuted at the Montreal Film festival in August 1982 and was well received at several film fes ...
'' (1982) * '' Memento'' (2000) * ''
Men Can't Be Raped ''Men Can't Be Raped'' (also known as ''Manrape''; ) is a 1978 Finnish-Swedish " rape and revenge" drama film directed by Jörn Donner, based on the novel '' Manrape'' by Märta Tikkanen. It tells the story of a woman (Anna Godenius), who, after ...
'' * '' MFA'' * ''
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'' (2017) * '' Ms .45'' (1981) * '' Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985) * '' The Nightingale'' (2018) * ''
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'' (2016) * '' Otis'' * ''
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'' (2020) * '' Rape of Love'' * ''
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'' (1985) * '' Return to Sender'' (2015) * ''
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'' * '' Rise: Blood Hunter'' * '' Rob Roy'' (1995) * '' Run! Bitch Run!'' * '' Savage Streets'' * '' Savage Vengeance'' * '' Savages'' (2012) * ''
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'' * ''Shutter'' (
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) * '' Sleepers'' * '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007) * ''
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'' * '' The Strange Thing About the Johnsons'' * '' The Stranger'' (1995) * ''Straw Dogs'' (
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'' (1983) * ''
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'' (2017) * ''
Thriller – A Cruel Picture ''Thriller – A Cruel Picture'' () is a 1973 Swedish rape-and-revenge exploitation film written and directed by Bo Arne Vibenius under the pseudonym Alex Fridolinski, and starring Christina Lindberg and Heinz Hopf. It tells the story of a mute ...
'' (1973) * '' Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives'' * ''
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'' * ''Tomcats (1977 film), Tomcats'' (1977) * ''The Virgin Spring'' (1960) * ''Voroshilov Sharpshooter (film), Voroshilov Sharpshooter'' * ''Vulgar (film), Vulgar'' * '' Wehshi Haseena'' (2004) * ''Wild Things (film), Wild Things'' (1998) * ''Wild Things 2'' * ''Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough'' * ''Wild Things: Foursome''


Reception and legacy

''The Virgin Spring'' received polarized reviews from critics, but subject to censorship since its U.S release, and later won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, marked the first rape and revenge film to win an Academy Awards, Academy Award. In retrospective years, the film renewed positively and expressed inspiration of several films, described as a relatively auspicious heritage to rape and revenge films. The subgenre has attracted critical attention and controversy, especially when it is akin to horror cinema – is probably one of the most controversial genres, accused of voyeurism and complacency by its detractors. Much of this critical attention comes from feminist critics examining the complex politics involved in the genre and its impact on cinema more generally. More recently, a broad analysis of the rape-revenge genre and concept was published in ''Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study'', by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. The book argues against a simplistic notion of the term "rape-revenge" and suggests a film-specific approach in order to avoid generalizing films which may "diverge not over the treatment of sexual assault as much as they do in regard to the morality of the revenge act". Rape and revenge films, like many horror films, cause controversy by making the audience complicit in the violence of the story. Because of this, both old and new films of the genre struggle with the balance of creating a realistic story that forces the audience to confront the horrifying reality, not putting so many horrifying things on the screen as to isolate your audience, ''and'' not making light or sexualizing the horrifying topics that do end up in the film. The controversy stems from the fact that films in the genre can often be accused of using the moral of the story as a pretext to justify extremely graphic murder and rape scenes. For example, ''I Spit on Your Grave'', notable for its controversial depiction of extreme graphic violence and depictions of gang rape, sparked controversies with feminists protesting the movie and people accusing the movie of glorifying rape. The Motion Picture Association of America tried to prevent the film's producers from using the R rating. After the association gave the film an R rating, the producer of the film added rape scenes, making it an X-rated movie. Ultimately, an agreement was reached where the film removed any references or explicit shots referring to anal rape and the MPAA restored the original R rating. In an interview with ''Fangoria'', director Meir Zarchi said as a response to the backlash: The remaining films ''Irréversible'', ''The Last House on the Left'', and ''Thriller – A Cruel Picture'' continue to spark substantial attention and controversy, with ''Irréversible'' notable for nine-minute continuous rape scene and repeatedly bludgeon-to-death scene, prompting widespread outrage among audiences during the film's premiere, including the cast from the film, and film critics stormed out. The anime adaptation of ''Redo of Healer'' also attracted controversy for the first two episodes, depicting rape and graphic violence at one point as a plot device, with one review describes the anime:
"''Redo of Healer'' may well be the most notorious and divisive anime series this season, in this case it earned a reputation for using ''revenge rape'' as a key recurring story element in the original material".
Despite this, the anime gained higher than average percentage of female viewers and novelist Rui Tsukiyo expressed their surprise on Twitter.


See also

* B movie, B-movie * Captivity narrative * New Hollywood * Vulgar auteurism * List of American independent films, American independent cinema * Extreme cinema * Midnight film * Psychological fiction (Psychological drama, drama, Psychological horror, horror, Psychological thriller, thriller) * Revenge tragedy * Splatter film * Social thriller * Video nasty * MeToo movement, #MeToo movement


References

{{Film genres Film genres Films about rape Films about revenge Rape and revenge films, Horror films by genre Thriller films by genre Exploitation films,