Crime in early 80s New York is out of control. Muggings, rapes, theft, assault, all perpetrated by street thugs that do little to no time and live consequence-free lives, getting away with it. Nick (Fred Williamson) and a couple of his friends have something to say about that, though. They’ve formed a little gang of their own, a gang of concerned citizens, who hunt down the scum and make them pay. They try to enlist their good friend Eddie (Robert Forster), a factory worker, to join their cause. Eddie believes in the justice system, until his wife gets assaulted and his young son gets murdered, and those responsible get away with it. Eddie attacks the judge who goes lenient on one of the perpetrators, and ends up in jail. It’s in the big house where he is able to get vengeance against one of the men responsible for his wife and son. Eddie broods, and when he gets released, he joins Nick and their gang to mete out further street justice, vigilante-style.
William Lustig sure knows how to make an exploitation flick. Maniac is his masterpiece, of course, but I’d say Vigilante comes in a close second. It’s slicker, with more “stars,” a bigger budget, and larger set-pieces, but it’s still gut-level action and politics. Forster is fantastic as the initially sure-of-himself-and-the-system Eddie, a true believer in the justice system, who has an interesting change of character once his wife and son goes down. He is angry, confused, and conflicted, and in jail, he finds a new truth to guide him. Williamson is his usual self, rugged and tough, badass to the bone. And the villains are truly despicable. You want them to die in the worst sort of ways, but even then, Lustig isn’t content with black and white characterizations. The main bad guy, at the end, displays a chilling streak of nihilism to go along with his broken soul, and it is a chilling moment. He didn’t have to turn out this way. The action is great, the whole movie filled with fights, gunfire, and general havoc. There’s not a moment that seems slow or out of focus. This one gallops along like a stallion.
Vigilante isn’t the kind of movie that will appeal to everyone, but if you’re on here reading this review, and you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know this is one for you. It exhibits all the good stuff you want from this kind of film: it’s gritty, dirty, tough, and merciless. If you’re new to this subgenre, the urban action revenge exploitation flick, this would be a good place to start. It’s just slick enough to appeal to a wider audience, but it still has its teeth, and it will still tear your heart out.
★★★☆