Revenge thrillers benefit the most from a simple premise. A guy can lose the one thing he’s ever cared about — be it his girl, his dignity, or even his dog — and that’s typically enough to justify a few hours of visceral, nonstop mayhem. There’s naturally something to be said for the way these films depict brutality without blinking an eye, but the best actioners still tout a kind of catharsis you can’t find anywhere else.
