If you’ve finished watching this flick and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top picks for alternate viewing. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Night In Paradise.
The Crossing Guard
Revenge is the name of the game here in The Crossing Guard and the parallel storylines converge together beautifully at the end. In that respect, this movie is pretty similar to Night In Paradise. After his daughter is killed in a hit and run, Freddy Gale waits six years for the man responsible to be released from prison. On the day of John Booth’s release, Gale tells him he has one week left to live. Then he’s going to die. Interestingly, during this time Booth make peace with himself and even finds romance too. By comparison, Gale finds his life spiraling out of control, consumed by his obsession. It’s a cleverly written story, and one with a decent resolution too.
V.I.P.
Night In Paradise’s Director, Park Hoong-Jung, has released some pretty good movies in the past and VIP is one such example. The story here revolves around the son of a high-ranking North Korean official, Kim Gwang-Il. He soon arrives in South Korea but finds himself targeted by the authorities. They suspect he’s responsible for committing serial murders around the world, and begin chasing him down. Packed full of visceral violence and great action, VIP is certainly worth checking out.
I Saw The Devil
I Saw The Devil is a dark, twisted thriller that looks hard at the role of revenge and its moral implications. Another Park Hoon-jung picture, this one is every bit as violent and visceral as his other efforts. The story centers on a taxi driver called Kyung-Chul and a Detective called Soo-Hyeon. The latter is a trained secret agent and becomes obsessed with hunting down Kyung-Chul. The entire movie essentially hinders on a deadly game of cat and mouse, with some tense sequences including some pretty squeamish torture too. This one is not for the fainthearted.
Gladiator
When it comes to epic tales of revenge, there aren’t many as good as Gladiator. This timeless tale of a General who became a slave, only to rise up as a gladiator against the corrupt emperor of Rome is an incredible movie. That infamous General happens to be one Maximus, who finds himself battling it out against the corrupt and cruel Emperor Commodus. Across the movie both characters run on parallel lines of fate, only to intersect in climactic fashion during the film’s third act. If you’re looking for a classic tale of revenge with some great acting and exciting set pieces, Gladiator certainly fits the bill.
The Bride Wore Black
The Bride Wore Black is another classic tale of revenge and although it doesn’t have the forgiveness angle Night In Paradise has, it’s a solid film nonetheless. This French movie revolves around a widow called Julie Kohler. After her Mother stops her from committing suicide, Julie declares that she’s leaving town. In reality, she lies in wait and begins assassinating the five men responsible for killing her husband. Well written and with a really satisfying ending, this one remains enthralling from start to finish.
Shinjuku Incident
Shinjuku Incident is a great Jackie Chan movie and an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish. The story here centers on a simple Chinese immigrant called Steelhead. Wrapped up in the seedy criminal underworld, an incident involving his fiancée leads Steelhead to wage war against the Triad and go toe to toe with their leader, Gao. With everything tightly tied together nicely by the end, this revenge thriller is chock full of action and drama.
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is another revenge-fueled tale, one that sees an ordinary guy, Nick Hume, waging war against a street gang. Before we get to that point, the movie begins with Nick’s son murdered as part of a gang initiation rite. Losing hope in the justice system, Nick sets out on a murderous crusade against the hardened criminal Billy Darley and his gang. Violence begets violence and as everything starts to escalate, the movie becomes consumed in its own revenge. It’s a very simple story but one that plays on that simplicity to great effect.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Set just under a year since her child was killed, a frustrated Mildred is at her wit’s end when the police run out of leads to pursue. Instead, she takes the law into her own hands and erects three billboards on a prominent stretch of road. In doing so, she points a finger at the ineptitude of the police department. Three Billboards is an interesting and oftentimes emotional exploration into grief, anger and justice. These themes run strongly throughout the movie and each character has a good amount of development too. The ending is open to interpretation but given the artistic approach to this movie, it actually works pretty well to round out the story.
John Wick
How strong is the bond between man and dog? That’s a question John Wick (and the series as a whole to be honest) answers across its illustrious trilogy of films. Whereas the sequels are full-on action, the opening act of this first film perfectly captures the love and respect between man and animal, something which becomes a focal point for this stoic hero in the future. The first John Wick does a great job capturing this idea and blurring it in with ideas of vengeance and revenge. While the sequels do ramp up the intensity – and visually stunning fight sequences – the original is a simple but effective thriller.
A Sun
A Sun is a simple tale (albeit a rather long one) about a fractured family attempting to heal past wounds through a tragedy that brings everyone together. When you dive a little deeper however, this Asian film has multiple layers hidden within its aesthetic, themes and underlying message that make it a profound and wonderful cinematic blockbuster. Trouble-maker Chieng Jang-Ho is thrown into a Juvenile Center after chopping a boy’s hand off. It’s the last straw for his Father A-Wen, who refuses to acknowledge his existence and pours all of his efforts into his “perfect” brother A-Hao instead. When tragedy suddenly strikes, the fractured family attempts to heal and move past their painful differences. Much like Night In Paradise, this movie has strong themes regarding grief, forgiveness and family, making for a beautifully written drama. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Night In Paradise. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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