The Olivia Wilde Revenge Thriller Hidden Gem You Can Find On Amazon

Revenge is a dish best served cold, but movies that revolve around the subject matter can really make your blood run hot. While it's often fun to watch badass protagonists unleash carnage in the name of justice (see: "Death Wish" and the countless movies it inspired), some revenge stories have more on their mind than simply satiating the audience's hunger for hard-hitting action and mayhem. As the recent "Promising Young Woman" showed, this genre can be an effective outlet for exploring topical themes and generate some awards buzz in the process. Of course, some of the best and most powerful revenge thrillers are the ones that fly under the radar, where they often remain, waiting to be discovered.

That's the case with "A Vigilante," the Olivia Wilde-starring thriller from 2018 that's currently available to stream on Amazon. The story revolves around a woman who escapes from an abusive relationship and takes out her anger on other abusers, showing a lack of remorse for the perpetrators. As brutal as the movie can be at times, it's hard not to root for Wilde's character and her cause. Furthermore, the filmmakers couldn't have chosen a better performer for the part. Here's why it's worth your time.

Characters who take the law into their own hands always risk losing the sympathy of viewers. After all, it's common for many antiheroes in vigilante movies to become as monstrous as the evil criminals they're hunting down. Other times it's difficult to understand their motivations, as many of these films focus on the action and spectacle at the expense of probing the psyches of their main characters. If "A Vigilante" accomplishes one thing, however, it's establishing depth of character, and that's a credit to Wilde's central performance.

Olivia Wilde brings plenty of nuance to the role, making the viewer understand her pain and then some. According to Rotten Tomatoes, which awarded the movie a 90% Certified Fresh score, critics were impressed by Wilde's "fearless" performance, as well as the film's daringness to tackle such weighty and "timely" themes. By no means is "A Vigilante" comfort viewing, but it's compelling and packs a punch. Find it streaming on Amazon Video today.