The gritty action film “Cold Pursuit,” which stars Liam Neeson in his renowned role as a grizzled father driven by retaliation, has a darkly comedic undertone. The movie, which is a remake of Hans Petter Moland’s highly regarded 2014 noir thriller “In Order of Disappearance,” features the caustic black humour that fans of Quentin Tarantino films are sure to enjoy. The 2019 film centres on Nels (Neeson), who tracks down the criminal group accountable for his son’s unexplained death, dismantling it member by member while making surprising allies and forging contradictory relationships.
The brutal brutality and cutting action scenes stand in stark contrast to the picturesque town covered in snow. Beneath its story of righteous revenge, the movie investigates how deadly retribution affects both the victim and those around them. These films will help you achieve catharsis even though the cycle of retaliation might never end. The list of films with intriguing stories like “Cold Pursuit” is endless.
I Saw The Devil (2010)
The film “I Saw The Devil,” directed by Kim Jee-woon, challenges the audience to reconsider what justice and retribution mean. Is it to put an end to the people who have perpetrated heinous crimes or to subject them to suffering as though it were hell on Earth? Jang Kyung-chul, a bus driver, murders the fiancée of Special Agent Lee Byung-hun. Lee pursues him, but the story doesn’t end there. He abandons him in a deplorable state so that he can be found again and suffer forever. The humour of “Cold Pursuit,” which lightens the overall gloomy tone, is absent from this movie, but it makes a big effort to find soul-satisfying joy in taking revenge.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
The ambitious tongue-in-cheek comedy picture “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is directed by Shane Black and stars Robert Downey Jr. as an oddball with a strong acting career. It features a lot of dark humour and unexpected violence. Its emphasis on intricate storytelling and comedic setups lightens the mood in contrast to the gloomy surroundings and several murders. As the cops pursue him, Harry Lochard (Downey Jr.) stumbles across a Hollywood audition. After landing the role, Johnny and his childhood girlfriend become entangled in a murder case involving a seasoned private investigator. When juxtaposed with “Cold Pursuit,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” almost seems like a bad movie; whereas the former emphasises humour more than anything else, using a gloomy backdrop, the latter employs humour to enhance its dish of coarse violence.
Peppermint (2018)
“Peppermint,” a vigilante action thriller, is from Pierre Morel, the filmmaker of “Taken.” In the movie, a heartbroken mother named Riley North seeks retribution against drug cartel members who shot her husband and daughter during a drive-by. She spends five years training in combat and shooting while living off the grid after becoming enraged by the justice system’s incompetence and corruption.
Riley reappears and launches a campaign of revenge to overthrow the cartel. She swiftly wins the support of the thousands of victims who have been silenced by them. The movie keeps a steady pace while building to dramatic action scenes. Similar to Nels from “Cold Pursuit,” Riely changes from a regular parent to a strong, unyielding avenger.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Cassie, the lead character in Emerald Fennell’s ambitious debut film, takes non-lethal revenge against patriarchal society in general. identifying men’s darker tendencies and speaking with them about them. In bars, she acts inebriated until a “nice guy” offers to take her home. He’s going to approach the apparently unconscious Cassie when she suddenly wakes up and confronts him, giving him a “lesson” in the process.
Because of what transpired with her friend at the time, Cassie left medical school early and is still troubled by it. When a childhood friend returns, she heals, but not before hatching one last scheme against the person who initiated it all. “Promising Young Woman” is not like the typical rape-revenge thrillers that feature female leads. It is undoubtedly the most realistic and compels viewers to confront difficult truths.
Punisher (2004)
The filmmakers of “Punisher,” Mark Goldblatt, Jonathan Hensleigh, and Lexi Alexander, up the ante on the formula for vengeance-fueled films. Former FBI agent Frank Castle loses his entire family as well as his extended family in front of him. It seems sense that Castle kills mafia members in order to exact retribution and adopts a sombre lifestyle. Although the film lacks the humour of “Cold Pursuit,” its gloomy atmosphere and graphic violence more than make up for it with a cast of compelling characters and thrilling action scenes.
Revenge (2017)
“Revenge,” the debut picture by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, revealed an unexpected gem. The rape-revenge cliché is presented in a compelling and well-paced manner, with visually stunning and eerily effective sound design. When Jen and her boyfriend Richard first arrive in a remote modern mansion in the middle of a barren, dry desert, Jen is a seductive, vivacious girl. He is a married, wealthy, and attractive man who assures her that she will lead a glamorous life in Canada. Two of his unkempt buddies arrive one day ahead of schedule, driving off-road vehicles and carrying hunting weapons.
After a wild night of partying, one of the men corners her and rapes her the next morning as Richard is out running errands. She demands to go once Richard gets back. Richard pushes her off a cliff and leaves her for dead out of fear that she would tell the authorities about their shady activities. After she makes it through, there’s an exciting cat-and-mouse match as Jen makes use of every resource—including her meagre resources—to stay alive and, in the end, take the fight to them. For those who loved comparable scenes in “Cold Pursuit,” this film is a must-watch because of the compelling performances combined with gritty and slightly exaggerated action.
Sisu (2022)
There is no translation for the Finnish word “sisu,” yet it conjures up an unwavering will that can withstand the grip of death without faltering. Atami Korpi, a wise World War II veteran who aspires to a quiet existence, personifies this word in its totality. Jalmari Helander, the director, transports us to 1944 Finland, where Atami has been searching for gold in the countryside for years. When he eventually strikes it, he encounters a German firm that is escaping the Finnish borders. His quest starts once they take his well-earned treasure.
The Nazis quickly learn that Atami was once known as Koschei (Immortal), a renegade commando who served as a “one-man death squad” after losing his family in the war. Even when the Nazis appear to have killed him, he lives true to his moniker because he continues returning for more. Viewers who have enjoyed “In Order of Disappearance,” the film on which “Cold Pursuit” is based, will undoubtedly enjoy the reserved protagonist and the show-don’t-tell storytelling style of this one as well.
Upgrade (2018)
A technophobe muscle car technician named Grey lives in a future cyberpunk world where he is rendered paralysed after losing his wife to modified lowlifes. Grey, a quadriplegic widower, is approached by a rich scientist to test a new neural augmentation equipment called STEM, which restarts his nervous system and gives him a dry-humored AI body assistant. The ensuing sequences of human and computer learning to collaborate and eliminate criminal scum in vividly brutal ways. Director Leigh Whannell’s entree promises to provide audiences with a cathartic, darkly humorous experience akin to that of “Cold Pursuit.”
