I Spit on Your Grave, a rape-revenge series, is back for a third rendition in Vengeance is Mine. For the most part, the movie is what you’d expect if you watched the previous films, except this one slightly alters the main plot formula. The main character seeking revenge in this film was inspired by a different motivation than in previous movies.
The original 1978 version and the later reboots revolved around a young woman who is brutally raped by a gang of men. After the traumatic experience, the woman seeks justice by brutally picking off her assailants with grotesque murders.
Vengeance is Mine follows Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) as she copes with the sexual assault she faced in the 2010 film. Despite getting revenge on her attackers, she experiences the desire to kill most men she comes face-to-face with. She changes cities and names to cope with her past, and begins attending a support group where she meets Marla (Jennifer Landon) who she immediately connects with. Just as she and her friend begin building a rapport, Marla is murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend.
Incensed by her friend’s murder and the ineptitude of the legal system which failed to bring her murderer to justice, Jennifer takes matters into her own hands. She goes after the ex-boyfriend..
While Jennifer commits absolutely brutal murders, the movie has considerably less bloodshed compared to the first two. The film decides to focus on Jennifer’s character, tackling her further descent into madness.
The series tackles the issues of the law enforcement’s relationship with rape victims and how rapists are not always brought to justice.
Jennifer’s evolution is another focal point of the series. In the first film, she’s portrayed as a normal young woman who is an aspiring novelist. Things all go to hell in her life from there. After a horrific rape scene, she goes after her attackers, showing no mercy at all. In the third film, it becomes apparent that Jennifer will likely never be able to truly put her life back together. She was never raped in the third film herself, but her experience from the first movie carries over as she takes matters into her own hands against misogynistic men as a vigilante.
In the first film, Jennifer is portrayed as the clear victim and it’s hard not to root for her the entire time. The third film delves more into the dark recesses of her psyche, and whether you should root for her or not becomes not so crystal clear.
For anyone interested in watching this movie or the series, a strong stomach is a prerequisite. If you want, you could skip the second movie entirely if you’re only interested in Jennifer’s journey. Overall, the third movie still delivered to those wanting to watch for the violence, though perhaps quite not as much as the first two. Instead, moral issues, some of which that are very real in our world, are focused on.
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