15 Best Revenge Horror Movies Where the Killer is Right

It’s been said that “he who seeks revenge digs two graves,” meaning that those who go out looking for vengeance will lose themselves along the way. It argues that revenge is a fool’s errand, as bloodshed can only lead to more bloodshed and death. While it is easy to say “live and let go,” sometimes some characters are so evil that they need to be put in the ground.

While revenge stories exist in all genres, horror movies, in particular, love the trope; whether it is someone left for dead, unforgivably wronged, or forced to witness the death of a loved one, these movies follow their protagonist as they hunt down their tormentors one by one. There is no place for morality in the following movies, as the villains truly deserve what is coming to them, and the heroes are justified in exacting their revenge.

15 ‘Mandy’ (2018)

Directed by Panos Cosmatos

Lumberjack Red (Nicolas Cage) lives a peaceful existence in a remote house in the woods with his beloved wife, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). That peace is shattered when a bizarre cult arrives and murders Mandy, causing Red to embark on a crusade of vengeance as he hunts down those responsible in this great modern midnight movie.

Red is perfectly justified in pursuing revenge, as Mandy was an innocent victim murdered by a pack of bloodthirsty maniacs. It is clear that Red’s life revolves around her, so it is understandable that he falls into such a state of vengeful despair in Mandy, perfectly captured in a terrific scene where Cage screams out his pain in the bathroom.

14 ‘Teeth’ (2007)

Directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein

Acting as a modern-day revitalization of a classic folklore fable, Teeth reinvents the story by having its lead character fully justified in their actions as opposed to being perceived as a monster. The film follows the story of Dawn, a wholesome young teen who has reserved herself to living a life of abstinence and chastity, being a member of her school’s chastity club. However, a rough encounter with a fellow student leads her to discover that she is a living example of the “vagina dentata” myth, with sharp teeth being inside of her private parts.

Teeth takes its comedically charged premise and is able to transform it into an effective message about the importance of consent in a relationship. While Dawn herself ends up seriously maiming a great number of people throughout the film, nearly everyone who has their private parts lacerated was certainly in the wrong, with Dawn’s affliction only applying to non-consenting acts. This helps make the film work that much more as a horror-comedy, with its painful punishment feeling all the more impactful when applied to a group of detestable people who had it coming. – Robert Lee

13 ‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)

Directed by Kim Jee-woon

After his fiancée becomes the latest victim of a savage serial killer, secret agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) hunts down the man responsible. Rather than granting him a swift death, Soo-hyun subjects the despicable Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) to a series of cat-and-mouse chases as he forces the same terror his victims felt upon him.

While I Saw the Devil does ponder whether Soo-hyun is just as bad as Kyung-chul by the movie’s end, he is more than vindicated by his brutal acts as Kyung-chul is an evil man deserving of suffering. The only thing that Soo-hyun does wrong is not killing Kyung-chul outright, as his prolonged games result in the death of several more innocents at the hands of Kyung-chul in one of South Korea’s most disturbing movies.

12 ‘Unfriended’ (2014)

Directed by Levan Gabriadze

One of the most prominent trends of early 2010s horror was the implementation of jumpscare-filled found footage supernatural stories, with Unfriended finding creative mileage out of taking the concept into a digital space. The film follows a group of high-school students interacting on a late-night Skype call like any other day, yet their night soon turns to one of despair when a mysterious ghostly figure joins their chat. Forcing the group to play games and punishing them for not completing them, the call grows smaller as the night goes on.

What helps Unfriended stand out from other found footage films and prove to be more than just a gimmick are its messages of bullying and the dark side that social media technology provides. As the truth surrounding the identity of this ghost is unveiled, it becomes apparent that everyone in the call played a part in the online bullying of this young girl and classmate, leading to her public suicide. It makes the karmic justice and deaths that each of these characters faces feel much more justified, as they directly played a part in the ending of a human life themselves. – Robert Lee

11 ‘Revenge’ (2017)

Directed by Coralie Fargeat

When Jen (Matilda Lutz) travels with her boyfriend to his remote luxury vacation house, she expects a relaxing weekend by the pool. But when her partner’s perverted friends arrive, she is assaulted and left for dead to cover up their crimes. Instead, she survives her savage attack and seeks vengeance.

With a name like Revenge, it is clear what the movie entails, and the film lives up to its title as Jen enacts bloody carnage on her tormentors. Jen transforms greatly throughout her ordeal, with Lutz offering a fantastic performance as her character goes from victim to warrior, wounded survivor to justified killer.

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10 ‘Tormented’ (2009)

Directed by Jon Wright

Faced with constant bullying at school, outcast Darren decides to take his own life. His spirit does not stay dead, however, as his ghost comes back to kill those who made his life a living hell. When A-grade student Justine (Tuppence Middleton) finds herself accepted into the popular group, she is soon added to the list of targets.

A British take on the slasher-comedy genre, Tormented is best described as a combination of Sex Education and Scream. While it never reaches the heights of the best slasher movies in the genre, it is still a fun and gory good time and features a few recognizable faces, such as The Umbrella Academy‘s Tom Hopper.

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9 ‘Mayhem’ (2017)

Directed by Joe Lynch

Dead-end and soul-sucking corporate white-collar jobs have been a continuous punching bag for satirical comedies over the years, with Mayhem finding glorious adrenaline in a blood-soaked horror comedy variation of the themes. The film sees a notorious corporate building being placed under quarantine due to the outbreak of a virus that causes people to act out on their worst impulses, transforming the entire building into an array of chaos and bloodshed. A duo who are especially fed up with the company set out to fight their way to the top in the name of revenge.

While the bloodshed and violence present throughout Mayhem are attributed to the virus more than the mentality of individual people, the film goes out if its way to make the duo of Derek and Melanie completely in the right with their dismantling and destruction of the corporate executives. Even well before the virus is spread around the building, the film makes an effort to establish these coworkers and bosses as the most incompetent and heartless corporate workers imaginable, making their inevitable downfall that much more glorious. – Robert Lee

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8 ‘Carrie’ (1976)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Teenager Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is often ridiculed at school, owed to her status as an outcast and her overly religious mother. When an act of kindness seemingly sees Carrie finally earning acceptance from her peers, it kicks into motion a cruel prank that will ultimately end in tragedy in one of the best horror movies of the 1970s.

One of the most famous tales of revenge, Carrie only showcases its revenge plot in its closing moments. As Carrie rips apart her prom school dance after being doused in pig’s blood, she uses her telekinetic powers to kill those responsible. While innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire, those who took part in the prank certainly got what was coming to them.

7 ‘Saw X’ (2023)

Directed by Kevin Greutert

While every other film in the Saw franchise doesn’t come close to making John Kramer justified in his vicious and destructive actions throughout the series, Saw X shifts the perspective and makes his victims morally reprehensible. The film takes place between the events of Saw and Saw II, and sees Kramer traveling to Mexico for a risky medical procedure in hopes of finally winning his long battle against cancer. However, when it is revealed that the procedure was nothing but a scam, having stolen loads of money and time from Kramer, he begins a plan of revenge in the best way he knows how; deathtrap games of life and death.

John Kramer’s mentality and justification have always been flawed and made him out to be a hypocrite throughout the series, and while his choice of victims has ranged greatly over the series, Saw X especially has the majority of his victims justified in their painful experiences. Even without considering these victims having directly played a part in the con against Kramer, it’s difficult to think of a group of people more deserving of a Saw trap than those who prey upon cancer patients for profit. It makes for a group of comically reprehensible people who fully deserve what’s coming, making each trap in the film more enthralling and electrifying than the last. – Robert Lee

6 ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (1984)

Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman (Samuel Weil)

Working as a janitor at a health club, nerdy Melvin is often bullied by the customers. When a cruel prank results in Melvin falling into a vat of toxic waste, he is transformed into a hulking mutant. Armed with superhuman strength, Melvin becomes a vigilante as he gruesomely murders criminals and those who tormented him.

A cult classic from Troma Entertainment, The Toxic Avenger perfectly combines ’80s camp, gory practical effects, and superhero tropes to create an unforgettable experience. While it is noticeably low-budget and a product of its era, the movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves splatter films.

5 ‘Piggy’ (2022)

Directed by Carlota Pereda

Overweight teenager Sara is routinely ridiculed by her peers for her appearance, but after a particularly harrowing prank, she witnesses the girls who bully her being abducted. As the man responsible lets Sara go, she refuses to tell the authorities what she witnessed, becoming an accomplice to the girl’s potential murder.

Piggy is a unique revenge movie in that the one who has been wronged is not the one doing the killing. Instead, Sara finds someone willing to take out her bullies for her, and while she struggles with the guilt of her actions, it is hard not to argue that the cruel teenagers deserved their fate.

4 ‘Ravage’ (2019)

Directed by Teddy Grennan

One of the best aspects of revenge horror films is their ability to amp up the audience and get them excited for the prospect of getting back at heinous people just as much as its lead character, a facet fully amplified in Ravage. The film follows nature photographer Harper, who ends up becoming a painful victim to a group of evil hillbillies while traveling through the Watchatoomy Valley, and while she managed to escape, the local police write her off as a crazed lunatic. Fueled by rage and anger towards those who wronged her, Harper decides to head back to the Valley in the name of revenge to take them all down herself.

Ravage does a great job of allowing the audience to feel for Harper during the film, feeling for her when she’s at her lowest, so that her acts of vicious revenge against the antagonists feel all the more satisfying. It’s far from the most original take on a horror revenge thriller, yet its execution proves to be so effective that it’s difficult not to have a good time, as well as difficult not to root for Harper during her quest for revenge. Annabelle Dexter-Jones especially does a great job selling the combined desperation and wrath displayed in Harper throughout the film, elevating the entire material in the process. – Robert Lee

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3 ‘Sissy’ (2022)

Directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes

When wellness influencer Cecilia bumps into her childhood best friend Emma one day, Emma invites her to a bachelorette party. Arriving at a remote house in the woods, Cecilia soon meets Emma’s new friends, which include Cecilia’s old bully Alex. As past wounds open, new ones are carved out as the weekend descends into bloodshed.

One of the best slasher movies from 2022, Sissy is an instant classic from Australia. Cecilia makes for a compelling character thanks to a terrific performance from Aisha Dee, and as the clearly unwell woman finds herself in a bloody spiral, it is hard not to root for her even as the bodies begin piling up.

2 ‘The Last House on the Left’ (1972)

Directed by Wes Craven

Teenage friends Mari and Phyllis road trip to the city to attend a concert but are instead abducted by a gang of escaped convicts. The criminals torture and murder the girls before taking refuge at a nearby house by posing as salesmen. Unknown to the killers, they are in the home of one of the girls they just murdered, and after they find out what happened to their daughter, they subject their new guests to a night of terror.

The debut of horror legend Wes Craven, The Last House on the Left is one of the most famous “video nasties.” Filled with disturbing content, the movie makes for a hard watch, but it ultimately becomes satisfying as Mr. and Mrs. Collingwood enact their bloody revenge.

1 ‘Becky’ (2020)

Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion

Forced to attend a weekend away with her father and his new girlfriend, 13-year-old Becky (Lulu Wilson) soon finds her trip getting even worse after the family is confronted by a gang of Neo-Nazis. As the escaped criminals, led by Kevin James in an against-type role, torment the family, Becky begins to turn the tables on her pursuers.

Becky is one of the most enjoyable horror movies of the past few years, carried by a strong performance from Wilson and a penchant for bloody violence. While Becky starts as a brat, she becomes more likable as she begins picking off the criminals one by one, showcasing a warrior’s spirit as she fights to free her family.

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