Welcome to Curmudgeon Corner, a guest column where SarahGVincentViews.com invites a friend to share their thoughts about various topics. Today, our guest and friend is Bob Tremblay, who often goes to screenings and movies with me! Going to movies with Bob makes them even more fun!
Disclaimer: Any views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this column are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies or positions of SarahGVincentViews.com.
Some folks will not go to a movie if they hear it contains violence. That’s too bad because great movies contain violence. Two of my favorite 2025 movies contain violent scenes: “Weapons” and “Sinners.” I’m clearly not alone in praising these films. Both rate highly with critics and the general public on Rotten Tomatoes.
I can understand why some folks object to movie violence. They see enough of it off the big screen. Movies offer an avenue to escape from that reality and some folks’ idea of entertainment doesn’t involve watching a room full of people get riddled with bullets. Fine, just know that violence, when applied skillfully, can enhance a film – as is the case in “Weapons” and “Sinners.” How? Sorry, no spoilers. Let’s just say neither film would have been as effective without violence. They just go about it in different ways. And that’s the key here. Movie violence comes in various shapes and sizes. Would you like to know what they are? Sure, you would.
For starters, there’s hardcore horror, also known as extreme cinema. Note that some of these movies have also been labeled torture porn and splatter films. Can you guess why? Here, violence gets the graphic treatment. Scenes typically feature torture, mutilation and general unpleasantness geared to shock or gross out or both. Examples would be the appropriately titled “Saw” films. While no wood gets harmed during the films, humans don’t fare as well. Clearly, if violence bothers you, these would be films to avoid. Not all hardcore horror films are necessarily horrible. Some critics have lauded the French film “Martyrs” (2008).
Violence also earns a front-row seat in slasher films. Here, a killer uses a weapon to murder people in nasty ways. The weapon can be something as charming as a chainsaw. To say these films have become popular would be an understatement along the lines of saying the sun is warm. For example, the “Friday the 13th” franchise has spawned multiple sequels, a television series, comic books and video games. Yes, violence sells. For all the people turned off by violence, there are people turned on by it. Many like visceral thrills while studios like the fact that these films cost less to translate, making them easier to export.
Again, how much you enjoy these films depends on how much violence you can tolerate. It should be pointed out again that not all of these movies are devoid of quality. For example, there is John Carpenter’s “Halloween” (1978) starring Jamie Lee Curtis . The killer here is the mildly disturbed Michael Myers, not to be confused with the comedian Mike Myers, causing terror and fear in the suburbs. Add a talented actress and director and you have a winning formula that unfortunately has been repeated and repeated and repeated in other films. Violence can be dull, too.
Up next is body horror. Truth in advertising here as these films typically involve a body undergoing a transformation far removed from puberty. Examples include director David Cronenberg ‘s “The Fly” (1986) where Jeff Goldblum gets morphed into the titular insect. Good luck swatting him. Critics and the public on Rotten Tomatoes give it high marks for its masterful and grisly special effects.
On to action films where violence has become a staple. In fact, good luck finding an action film that doesn’t include at least a modicum of mayhem. Of course, some revel in it with varying degrees of artistic success. The “John Wick” films can be found on the positive side. The violence here looks like the Tasmanian Devil choreographed ballet. Having Keanu Reeves as the star doesn’t hurt. For even grittier action films, look no further than the “Mad Max” films.
As for motives for violence in these films, revenge often takes center stage. For example, John Wick doesn’t appreciate his dog being killed. Woe to the mutt murderer. When people get threatened by bad guys or bad cyborgs as in “The Terminator,” violence functions as a security blanket.
It would be rather difficult to have a war film without violence though some showcase more than others. Even people accustomed to movie violence were likely shaken by its realistic portrayal in the opening scene of “Saving Private Ryan.”
Crime films would also have a hard time eschewing violence. The first two Oscar award winning “Godfather” filmsfeatured violent scenes. Note that films prior to 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde” were typically restrained in their depiction of violence by censorship codes.
Finally, there’s comedic violence. Come on, who doesn’t laugh when King Arthur hacks off the arms and the legs of the Black Knight during a sword fight in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”? The knight still refuses to admit defeat. As he lies legless and armless on the ground, he proclaims, “All right, let’s call it a draw.” Granted, the violence here is cartoonish.
My advice for the violence shy: why limit your moviegoing experience? Unless you’ve completely sworn off violence in movies, read reviews or ask a friend who’s seen the film and whose opinion you trust to see if the violence supports the story rather than just going for the gore gratuitously, you could be missing a film as superb as “The Godfather”?
