20 Greatest Revenge Movies Of All-Time

16. Thriller: A Cruel Picture

BAV Film/American International Pictures

Like I Spit On Your Grave, 1973's Thriller: A Cruel Picture is usually branded as a definitive title in the "rape and revenge" subgenre of flicks. Despite being branded with a number of different titles depending on where in the world it was released (it's similarly known as "They Call Her One Eye"), Thriller chronicles the, uh, "adventures" of Madeline, who recovers from a sad life as a sex slave and later reinvents herself as a one woman army. Oh, and guess what? She's out for revenge on all the men who wronged her - and she will get bloody satisfaction.

Thriller is perhaps most famous nowadays because its lead character, played by the insanely beautiful Christina Lindberg, inspired Elle Driver, a one-eyed character in a Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. But viewed on its own terms, there's a lot to like here: not only is Madeline's quest for vengeance cathartic in every way, but watching her transformation from meek girl to force to be reckoned with is just awesome.

Thriller is also notable because it features a few shots of unstimulated sex, having added an extra layer of notoriety to this already exploitive flick.

 
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Contributor

Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.