Modern-day vigilante film

The 1970s were considered by many to be a “golden age” for vigilante movies, but in recent years, films centering around vigilante justice have resurfaced to fit modern-day audiences. 

“Today, there is more diversity in the types of vigilante films that are out there. I think there are different social classes, gender, ethnic groups, and political positions that are playing into the fantasy of revenge and of fighting the corrupt system,” Laderman said. 

However, the modern-day world has plenty of its own societal problems, and they have also influenced the creation of movies. Similarly to the 1970s, Laderman believes that current societal issues, which now feature police brutality and political corruption, have also influenced the way audiences perceive vigilante films.

“What’s in the films gets reinforced in real life when we read about police brutality or political corruption. As a result, the movie depictions and real events can reinforce each other,” Laderman said.

Modern-day audiences are especially drawn to the premise of a vigilante due to the overwhelming input of information given to us from the Internet. 

“People read about all this stuff going out in the world that doesn’t seem right and there’s nothing they can do about it so there’s a sense of catharsis, where you go and watch a movie and the character on the screen is acting out the audience’s fantasies and desires and there’s something very satisfying in that, and I think that’s why they’re so popular,” Laderman said. 

Recent years have also seen the vigilante genre start to mix with the booming superhero film industry, which has been immensely successful. 

Films such as Matt Reeve’s “The Batman” and Jon Watt’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” have both hit theaters in the last year and have been met with great success with both surpassing $750 million at the worldwide box office.

According to Laderman, this uptick in superhero vigilante films has simplified the idea of vigilantism. 

“[Filmmakers] have to simplify the problems so the vigilante can solve everything with superhuman powers,” Laderman said.