One of the best action movies of the 21st century is on TV tonight
Be warned, though. This sadly underseen film from the director of The Substance is not for the faint-hearted.
Our TV movie pick for tonight is Revenge (Wednesday, 22 July), the incredible but sadly underseen 2017 action thriller.
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat in her feature debut (she was later Oscar-nominated for making 2024’s The Substance), the film centres on a young woman named Jen (Matilda Lutz, Red Sonja).
She travels with her wealthy boyfriend Richard (Kevin Janssens, Safe Harbour), who is married to another woman, to his luxury vacation home in the desert.
When Richard’s two hunting trip buddies also arrive at the secluded destination, events quickly spiral out of control, and Jen is left for dead by the men.
Against all odds, alone in the desert, the young woman manages to recover. She then seeks vengeance on her attackers, turning the hunters into the hunted.
Revenge boasts some of the most colourful and stylish cinematography in recent years, a protagonist so easy to root for, and a whole host of bloody, hard-hitting, visceral action set-pieces.
Fargeat takes what could have been a standard action flick and turns it into something unforgettable and legendary through her depiction of Jen’s transformation into a powerful avenging force.
Be warned, though. The movie is extremely, extremely dark and violent.
Holding a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, Revenge is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend at 11.15pm. It’s also currently available to stream on the services Mubi and Shudder.
Here are the other movies on TV tonight:
Bob Odenkirk proved himself to be a great action man in this 2021 thriller.
Skyscraper – Sky One – 9pm
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stars in this action thriller as a former FBI agent and U.S. war veteran who now works as a private security consultant.
He faces off against terrorists while on assignment at a massive skyscraper in Hong Kong.
Coogan’s Bluff – ITV4 – 9pm
This ’60s crime thriller is the first collaboration between Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel, who would later work together on The Beguiled, Dirty Harry and Escape from Alcatraz.
A sci-fi thriller starring Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy and Justin Timberlake with a really cool concept: What if time was currency?
Drop Zone – Legend Xtra – 9pm
Wesley Snipes stars in this ’90s action thriller as a U.S. Marshal who, to break up a drug smuggling gang, must take to the skies.
Orphan: First Kill – Film4 – 10.50pm
The prequel to the hit horror about a couple who adopt an orphan (Isabelle Fuhrman) who may not be as innocent as she seems.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation – Legend Xtra – 11.05pm
Also known as Get the Gringo, this 2012 action comedy is headlined by Mel Gibson.
The Hurt Locker – BBC One – 11.40pm
The Oscar Best Picture-winning Iraq war drama from director Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite, Zero Dark Thirty).
