"What do you do when justice fails?"
There's this unsettling feeling I get whenever I watch a movie where a criminal walks free simply because there's no solid evidence. The court declares them "not guilty," and just like that, they're back on the streets, hunting for their next victim.
It irks me to the core so much that I wish I could step into the scene and confront the judge or the police who seems not to do anything, yelling, "Can't you see? The truth is right in front of you!" But no, because he's influential, has connections or some powerful hands are pulling the strings, justice slips away.
This is the story of a woman (Karen) played by Sally Field whose daughter was raped and killed. After a thorough investigation, they found the killer, who was brought to court, and then he was set free without any justice being done. The grieving woman decided to take laws into her own hands and avenge her daughter's death.
She met with a group that aimed at encouraging those who fell victim to such incidents, and some were helped to take revenge, well, in a legal way aside from reporting to the police because they weren't doing anything. At some point, Karen was advised not to do such as she could be jailed for it except it was for self-defence. But does that mean the killer should be roaming around freely, and hunting other innocent girls?
Robert Doob, played by Kiefer Sutherland was a sadistic predator, disguising himself as a delivery man and targeting girls. He would rape and kill them, leaving no traces behind. This was why they couldn't apprehend him and justice carried out.
After the woman was advised not to take revenge as she already joined the group where she sought help in killing the guy, she backed out as no one was willing to listen to her, not even her husband. But something happened again that pushed her to take a new way.
Robert raped and killed another lady. Before then, the woman had trailed him to find where he lived, and when she suspected another danger to this lady, she returned back to warn her but refused to listen, thinking she was just blabbing. Well, she got what she deserved because she didn't listen, turning deaf ears. That got the woman to follow her mind and stop him, else, things might continue to escalate in the town unless the guy is killed.
One thing I love was how the woman got a new tactic on how to kill the guy without being jailed. She lured him to her house, where she killed him, making it look like a self-defence thing, and that was it.
An Eye for an Eye is an interesting movie that reveals a woman who was grieving that no justice was melted, and she was desperate to do all it takes to stop her child's killer. One could feel her struggles, the weight of her decisions and the emotional toll of seeking revenge in the right way.
What made the movie stand out and enjoyable for me was the cinematography. The way the camera captured the tension in each scene was incredible. It didn't drag with unnecessary scenes and there was no dull moment, just perfect for the kind of action movie I wanted. Honestly, I felt so many things - nervous, excited and even emotional, especially that scene where the mother wasn't there when her daughter was brutally killed and as she fought for help, there was no one around until the killer satisfied himself. Also, it was on her second daughter's birthday.
I love the little girl. Though one may think it's a movie as she already had practised her speech and role, those words brought some tears to my eyes. She thought her mother being cold at her was because she was the reason for the death of her sister since it was on her birthday, but she didn't realise how painful it was for the mother in such a moment, and all in her mind was to take justice into her hand.
I love movies that leave you with something to think about. An Eye for an Eye did just that. It made me question justice, revenge, and whether one can ever be truly satisfied after doing what one wants to do. But more than anything, it was a great watch, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves action-thriller movies. So, then, I rate it 8/10.
All images are screenshots from Imdb
