Already binged Prime Video’s ‘Wilderness?’ We got you covered with other revenge-seeking tales.
Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton in ‘The First Wives Club’ | IMDb
That cheating bastard. Rotten scoundrel. Good for nothing, vow-neglecting dirtbag. So much for till death do us part; more like till you discover one other warm body to cozy as much as within the storm. Prime Video’s Wilderness is the most recent in female-led revenge stories following a girl out to punish the person who has betrayed her. In this six-part series based on the novel of the identical name by B.E. Jones, Liv discovers that her husband, Will has cheated on her. At first, he claims it was a one-and-done — the classic mislead try to justify such deplorable behavior. A momentary lapse in judgment. An alcohol-induced escapade he barely remembers. Yet, this seems to be one other lie. Liv does some investigating and discovers he’s been having a full-blown affair — with guarantees to depart his wife and all.
The couple set out on a long-delayed honeymoon to repair their marriage. To Will’s knowledge, Liv is none the wiser regarding the extent of his infidelity. For, she decides that relatively than confronting him — and listening to his poor excuses and subsequent waterworks apology — she is going to simply end his life on this trip. She refuses to turn out to be her mother: the primary wife who spends her life eager about her ex-husband, a person who had an affair and is now off indulging in a recent splendid love story. She begins to examine all of the ways she could get away with murder. Should she push him off the cliff on the Grand Canyon? Should she let him drown while white water rafting? You get the thought. Yet, when his mistress shows up together with her oblivious boyfriend, Liv’s meticulous planning gives technique to rage and messy mishaps.
If you already binged Wilderness, we’ve got some revenge tales across genres which can be sure to scratch that retribution itch.
‘Gone Girl’ | 2014 | MAX
New York-based author Nick Dunn (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) boast a picture-perfect marriage. They’ve got that rose-hued fantasy life that couples dream of…or so it seems. When Amy goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick quickly becomes the first suspect. The facade of their blissful marriage crumbles as secrets surface and buried lies are exposed.
Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel, the film is directly scary and silly — suspenseful and slick. A well-paced mystery with strong performances from Affleck and Pike that masterfully blends genres while maintaining a chilling undertone. And, as for Amy, well, she’s on a revenge mission that makes itself evident along the best way.
‘John Tucker Must Die’ | 2006 | Prime Video
The teen-centric comedy, John Tucker Must Die, though boasting a bit more levity than Wilderness, also spotlights a cheater — and the just consequences he faces consequently of his infidelity. When three teenagers (all from vastly different cliques) realize they’re dating the identical suave highschool athlete, they band together to exact their revenge. They enlist the brand new girl on the town to assist break his heart and destroy his popularity in the method. Though critics panned this one for overt silliness and sentimentality, it’s a fun ride with enjoyable hijinks and snappy dialogue (that’s, albeit, sometimes cringey).
‘The First Wives Club’ | 1996 | Paramount+
The movie begins with Stockard Channing’s Cynthia Swan Griffin — middle-aged and despondent over her ex-husband’s marriage to a younger woman — plunging to her death from her penthouse. Yet, within the hands of Channing, with a drink in a single hand and a cigarette in the opposite, it’s less of a pity-me moment and more of a screw-you splendor to the misogynistic society we live in. In high heels, a brown fur coat all the way down to her ankles, and a satin white nightgown, she flicks that cigarette one last time before ending her life. This sets the inspiration for The First Wives Club, as three of her former friends reunite at her funeral (Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton). Upon rekindling a friendship that hasn’t been lit in 30 years, they realize all of their husbands are taking them as a right, they usually got down to seek revenge.
The film’s uproarious, witty, and empowering portrayal of friendship and revenge is timeless. The film boasts a sassy comedic tone and three deftly illustrated characters who couldn’t be more different, but all succumb to the identical indignities inflicted upon middle-aged women. With a punchy and satirical script and glorious performances from our trio of stars, this one stays a memorable feminist romp.
‘She-Devil’ | 1989 | Prime Video
She-Devil stars Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr in a critical and box-office flop turned minor cult classic. Meryl Streep plays the glamorous creator of 32 best-selling romance novels who steals Roseanne Barr’s accountant husband. The trailer calls Barr’s Ruth “a domestic demon” and the “queen of a suburban paradise.” Though turning the ladies against one another — and depicting Ruth as a frumpy, unworthy-of-love character — the movie does be sure that she’s the one you’re left rooting for, as she begins her red-eyed revenge journey. It’s a bit hokey and definitely goals for campiness. Though it never fully reaches peek absurdity, Streep proves her comedic chops, and Barr proves relatability through depth of emotions from jealousy and rage to pride and desire.
‘The Other Woman’ | 2014 | Prime Video
In a fashion much like John Tucker Must Die, The Other Woman also follows three ladies who unite to exact revenge on the person who thought he could pull the wool over all their eyes. The film stars Cameron Diaz as the primary “other woman,” Leslie Mann because the devoted wife, and Kate Upton because the second “other woman.”
While the film could’ve been a bit more empowering — often settling for reasonable laughs where satirical commentary could flourish — it’s got numerous heart and a few laugh-out-loud moments because of Mann’s knack for portraying a humiliated housewife wallowing in self-pity. With women who bond as a substitute of brawl, it rightfully makes the person the villain, and that’s a step above other movies that pit women in such situations against each other.
‘Promising Young Woman’ | 2020 | Prime Video
Promising Young Woman stars a superb Casey Mulligan in a vigilante thriller a couple of woman out to right the wrongs of a traumatizing past. She’s a 30-year-old Med-school dropout who now lives together with her parents. It’s believed that her former classmate raped her best friend Nina Fisher years prior. Now, she goes out at night, feigns intoxication, and goes home with men who expect to take her to bed, but as a substitute receive much-needed lessons in consent.
The provocative and timely thriller is heavier than other installments on this list, but it surely’s a vital, genre-spanning film that balances bleakness with wit, suspense, and dark comedy.
‘9 To 5’ | 1980 | Hulu
What type of female-led revenge list would this be without 9 To 5? Though this one is less a couple of cheating scoundrel, it’s a couple of corporate one who’s equally deserving of what’s coming to him. The office satire follows three female secretaries who fantasize about abducting their sexist and tyrannical boss and running the business themselves. After an evening of drug-induced mayhem, one is convinced she actually poisoned the chauvinist. He takes credit for his or her work. He smacks his secretaries on the rear as he pleases and treats the ladies within the office with zero dignity. So, is ending his life all that bad?
Offering laugh-out-loud sequences while making pointed observations about gender roles within the workplace, the film is a classic. And, it’s also answerable for Dolly Parton’s iconic song that became an anthem for the tail-end of second-wave feminism.
