While it’s often said that revenge is sweet, sometimes it can taste more than a little bit sour. Take revenge movies for instance – for every Oldboy, there’s a Peppermint or … well, Oldboy (2013).
At their best, revenge movies can be thoroughly cathartic, offering vicarious thrills to an audience who’ve become invested in the increasingly bloody crusade of their central characters. At their worst, however, they can be a miserable slog that feels overly nihilistic or even just straight-up boring. With that in mind, these are the 10 worst revenge movies ever made, ranked according to their IMDb scores.
Death Wish V: The Face Of Death (1994) – 4.9
The fifth and final chapter in the Charles Bronson-starring bloody revenge for his murdered girlfriend, going up against nefarious mob leader Tommy O’Shea in the process.
The franchise had already far overstayed its welcome by this point – with Bronson looking tired and checked out throughout – but fans of so-bad-it’s-good schlock may still find something to enjoy in Death Wish V.
Avenging Angel (1985) – 4.8
The second movie in the forgotten Angel franchise, Avenging Angel follows its titular former-prostitute as she seeks vengeance for the cold-blooded murder of Lt. Andrews – the man responsible for her escape from prostitution in the first place.
Shedding the serious tone and relative realism of the film’s predecessor Angel, the movie opts for a decidedly campier ride the second time around – though its sparse, often bizarre action sequences still leave a lot to be desired. Despite falling short of expectations at the box office, the movie received two more sequels, both of which were more warmly received than Avenging Angel.
Dead In Tombstone (2013) – 4.8
On paper, Dead in Tombstone sounds like an entertaining slice of western B-movie madness. Its execution, however, it is nothing short of abysmal, looking incredibly cheap and thrown together.
Starring Danny Trejo and Mickey Rourke, the movie tells the story of Guerrero De La Cruz, a gang leader who’s betrayed by his fellow outlaws and left for dead. Offered a deal by the Devil himself, Guerrero is tasked with taking out his former friends in order to save his own soul. While its concept may seem ripe with unintentional comedic gold, Dead in Tombstone is the exact opposite of fun.
Descent (2007) – 4.8
Not to be confused with the incredible horror movie The Descent released just two years prior, Descent tells the grim story of college student Maya – played by Rosario Dawson – whose life is turned upside down after she’s raped by a fellow student.
While stories such as these are often charged with complex and potent emotion, Descent fails to explore the psyche of its protagonist in any meaningful way, with only the movie’s first and third acts feeling relevant at all. With its spread-thin plot, lackluster script, and subpar performances, Descent is a depressing slog of a movie that’s best left alone.
Let Me Make You A Martyr (2016) – 4.7
Between its frustratingly pretentious title and description as a ‘cerebral revenge film’ on IMDb, Let Me Make You A Martyr is pseudointellectual shock cinema at its most dull. Focusing on a pair of adoptive siblings who become romantically involved, the movie charts the duo’s attempts to take down their adoptive drug-lord father.
Starring character actor Mark Boone Jr. as crime lord Larry Glass and Marilyn Manson as the hitman he hires to take out his children, Let Me Make You A Martyr is a vapid, hollow, and ugly movie that takes a relatively interesting premise and makes it unforgivably dreary.
Defenceless: A Blood Symphony (2004) – 4.6
Defenceless: A Blood Symphony is perhaps the most bizarre movie on this entire list. Attempting to weave together the ostentatious violence of classic exploitation cinema and the beautiful originality of the arthouse scene, the movie completely misses the mark on both counts.
With minimal dialogue and a classical score that accompanies the entire film, Defenceless: A Blood Symphony quickly grows tiresome – a problem that’s compounded by its ugly cinematography and hideous lighting.
Exterminator 2 (1984) – 4.4
While the 1980’s action-revenge flick The Exterminator was hardly anything special, its 1984 follow-up, Exterminator 2, was even worse, boasting one of the most troubled productions in B-movie history. More than doubling its budget early into the film’s production, the movie was subjected to extensive reshoots, overzealous censoring and heavy editing before it was deemed fit for release.
Still, despite Exterminator 2’s low IMDb score and terrible reviews, its production problems make it an interesting watch for those interested in the filmmaking process – but that’s about it.
Run! Bitch Run! (2009) – 4.1
Attempting to ape exploitation classics like The Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave, Run! Bitch Run! is about as bad as its title would suggest. The film centers on two Catholic schoolgirls who are viciously assaulted and left for dead, only for one of them to survive – setting out on a campaign of bloody vengeance against her attackers.
Criticized for its lackluster plot, awful dialogue, tired performances, and failure to capture the essence of Grindhouse cinema, there’s a reason you probably haven’t heard of Run! Bitch Run!
Nude Nuns With Big Guns (2010) – 3.9
Let’s face it, a movie called Nude Nuns with Big Guns was never exactly going to be a critical darling, but this dreadful nunsploitation flick – and yes, that’s actually a real subgenre– really takes the cake, sporting an embarrassing 3.9 on IMDb.
As you’d probably expect, the movie tells the story of a mentally and physically abused nun who takes up arms against her tormentors, embarking on a gruesome crusade against any and all sinners who cross her path.
The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) – 3.0
Of all the terrible sequels to 1994’s The Crow, 2005’s The Crow: Wicked Prayer is the most putrid of the bunch. With a staggeringly low 3.0 on IMDb and a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie copy-pastes the uninspired plot of its previous three entries, with its shockingly bad script feeling almost improvised on the spot.
Starring the likes of Edward Furlong, Tara Reid, and David Boreanaz (they also somehow managed to rope the ordinarily fantastic Dennis Hopper into the movie) The Crow: Wicked Prayer is an embarrassing time capsule of the mid-2000s that’s best left dead.
