20 Greatest Revenge Movies Of All-Time

15. Gladiator

Universal Pictures

At its core, Ridley Scott's seminal sword and sandal epic, Gladiator, is a revenge flick of the highest order. Hellbent on killing the man who murdered his family, Commodus, the plot follows one Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a former Roman army General who finds himself reduced to slavery. His mission? To rise up as a champion fighter in hope that it puts him face to face with Commodus.

Gladiator is something of a B-movie disguised as a historical epic; the lines between fact and fiction are blurred in and amongst scenes of horrific violence, as Maximus' rampage shows no bounds; the look visible in Crowe's eyes for the sum of the movie ensures that his quest for revenge will end in bloody satisfaction. Featuring fine performances from everyone involved, including Oliver Reed, Richard Harris and Joaquin Phoenix, an unforgettable soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, and relentless action sequences, Gladiator carves out an epic revenge tale on a truly momentous scale.

 
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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.