[Editorial] 7 Rape Revenge Films Directed by Women You Need to See

The rape-revenge genre can be a difficult one for people to enjoy because of the extremely sensitive subject matter, and also due to the fact that if the story is handled incorrectly on screen, it can be incredibly disrespectful and traumatising for audiences. 

However, when handled correctly, rape-revenge movies can be used to tell important and unique stories. The revenge aspect of these movies allows both the victims and the audience to experience a cathartic release at the end as the attackers are made to pay for their crimes in a way they would so often avoid if traditional justice methods were involved.

Horror movies so often have us rooting for the bad guy as horror icons like Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers slash their way through a group of anonymous teens. Rape revenge movies not only show that there are plenty of regular-looking people out there that are actually villains, but the focus of the story, the journey, and the ending is also on the victim. These bad guys are not there to be the main character or liked in any way. And so these types of movies are a very unique and more real-world addition to the horror genre than a lot of other films.

As we look at the theme of Good for Her this month at Ghouls, I’ve got seven rape revenge films directed by women that you need to see if you want to explore the genre a little more and be confident that you’re watching movies which handle the subject matter with the respect and sensitivity it deserves.

7 - Violation (2020)

Violation is a difficult watch as Miriam deals with her past assault at the hands of her brother-in-law, Dylan. In the present day, Miriam carries out her revenge plan, which is slow, brutal, and difficult for her to even be a part of. But she thinks it’s what she needs to get over the attack and her lingering hatred towards Dylan and his denial of the whole incident.

Nothing about her plan is left to chance, and it’s obviously something she’s thought about for some time as she dealt with the aftermath of her assault. But in the end, both Miriam and the audience are left feeling a little empty. Did her revenge give her the release she wanted? Or did it simply add to her trauma and leave her unable to live a life that isn’t overshadowed by Dylan?

6 - M.F.A. (2017)

Noelle is a fine arts graduate student who has a crush on her classmate Luke. Luke invites her to a party, and Noelle decides to try and socialise a little more and attends. However, Luke assaults her, and when Noelle tries to confront him about it later she ends up pushing him over a banister to his death. 

While this isn’t the violent revenge we’ve come to expect in these types of movies, Noelle realises that she can do the same to other rapists on campus to try and give the victims some sort of peace. She recognises that many may not be able to take revenge themselves, and so she sets out to do it for them. 

5 - Promising Young Woman (2020)

Cassie Thomas’ whole world was rocked when her best friend, Nina, took her own life after she was raped by fellow classmate Al. When Al faced no consequences after Nina’s death, Cassie dropped out of school and decided to take matters into her own hands. 

She spends her nights pretending to be drunk in bars and eventually calling out or punishing the men when they try to take advantage of her. However, when she finds out Al is incredibly successful and about to get married, Cassie discovers that her current way of life isn’t enough for her. She needs to get her revenge on the man who actually ruined everything, instead of just punishing every low life she comes across. Not only that, but she decides to include everyone who failed Nina in her revenge plan, so they can really understand how their actions affected her friend. 

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4 - Black Christmas (2019)

When we meet college student Riley, she is dealing with a lot of trauma after being assaulted by fraternity president Brian Huntley. She keeps a close eye on her fellow sorority sisters, swooping in to ensure they stay safe at all times and to make sure that other fraternity brothers aren’t able to take advantage of them. Riley has been vocal about her attack, but nothing was done, and she is left to deal with Brian being treated like royalty around campus. 

Not only is Riley brave enough to get up and sing a song about the prevalence of rape culture at the fraternity, but when other women start disappearing on campus, she is the first person to try to help, altering the authorities, and then taking things into her own hands when she doesn’t get the help she needs. When it’s discovered that the fraternity is behind the disappearances, Riley is only too happy to fight with her fellow sisters and take as many fraternity brothers out of the picture as possible.

3 - The Nightingale (2018)

Jennifer Kent has said that she doesn’t consider The Nightingale to be your typical rape-revenge movie. And while I agree with her on some levels, as the movie represents the historical violence that actually took place in Australia at that time rather than simply Clare’s need for revenge, I just couldn’t leave it off this list. It’s a difficult watch that’s so heart-breaking for a number of reasons, but it’s also a very realistic representation of what life was like for women in the past. It takes such a different approach to rape revenge, but it still feels at home in the genre.

Clare is an Irish convict in a Colonial force detachment in Australia who decides to hunt down her attacker, Lieutenant Hawkins, after she is raped and both her husband and child are murdered. Hawkins has been abusing Clare for some time, but she had hoped to be set free and escape with her family before it was all ripped away from her. She sets off across the country with an Aboriginal called Billy as her guide, who has his own reasons to hate Hawkins. However, much like Violation, The Nightingale explores the depths of a woman’s rage but shows that revenge doesn’t magically solve all of Clare’s problems. 

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2 - American Mary (2012)

Mary is an extremely talented surgical student who is struggling due to a lack of money and the constant pressure from her professor, Dr Alan Grant, who seems to enjoy making her life a misery. When she starts her surgical residency at a local hospital, things seem to be going well, and she’s even invited to a networking party by Dr Walsh. However, when Mary arrives she discovers the partygoers are mostly older men. Her drink is spiked and she is taken into a bedroom by Dr Grant, who rapes her and films the ordeal. 

Mary is forced to drop out of medical school due to the events at the party and takes up a side hustle of extreme cosmetic surgery to allow her to use her skills and still make money even though she isn’t fully qualified. She arranges for Dr Grant to be kidnapped and held hostage in an empty building, where she practises her extreme surgeries on him, slowly cutting bits off of him until there’s not much left. Mary has to deal with what Dr Grant did to her for the rest of her life, and so she wants her revenge on him to be as slow and painful as possible.

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1 - Revenge (2017)

Revenge is one of my favourite movies ever, and everything about it from start to finish is stunning. Our story follows Jen, a socialite who is having an affair with a married man called Richard. While spending time with Richard in his remote house, she meets his friends Stan and Dimitri. While Richard is away dealing with business the next day, Stan rapes Jen as Dimitri sits in the other room, aware of what is going on. 

When Richard returns, he is angry at Stan but ultimately sides with his friends in order to protect his own life, pushing Jen off a cliff to her apparent death. However, Jen survives and her desire to live as well as punish all three of these men for the part they played in her attack keeps her fighting. All of the movies on this list feature rapists that are known to their victims rather than just a random stranger attacking them in a dark alleyway, and Revenge explores how those closest to you can also betray you in the most terrible way. It also challenges the ‘boys will be boys’ rhetoric as well as lad culture, and it’s so cathartic to see a blood-drenched Jen make all three of them pay.

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