However, as it goes with domestic violence, Clare’s changed behavior isn’t enough for Andi and he continues the abuse. While trapped and tormented by Andi, Clare actually begins to adjust to her new “life.” She starts to play the role of a dutiful partner, cooking, cleaning, and comforting her abuser. The film does take time to dig into the psychological aspects of Clare’s situation, as well, which get complex. While her walls are physical, the psychological walls are just as real for those enduring domestic violence. For many people, the idea of leaving an abusive partner is like asking Clare, who is literally locked in Andi’s apartment, to just leave. It serves as a metaphor for what domestic violence can look like. Like “Gerald’s Game,” the plot of this film is not based in realism. At first she thinks it might be an accident, but it becomes clear that he intends to keep her there forever. However, the next morning, Andi is gone and he’s locked Clare in his apartment. Berlin Syndrome (2017)Ĭlare meets Andi while in Germany and they enjoy a one-night stand. It’s a powerful metaphor of the effects of domestic violence and abuse, no matter how long ago it happened or how much it’s repressed. The film is much more than just a tense thriller.
When she begins to unravel her past, however, she figures out how to escape her present. The other villain emerges from deep within Jessie’s memories as she realizes the effects that one day from her childhood has had on her whole life.įor the vast majority of the film, Jessie is trapped, both physically and in her thoughts.
She can’t free herself, and Gerald appears in her delusions, taunting her. He suffers a heart attack after cuffing Jessie to their bed and attempting to force a rape fantasy on her. One of them, her husband Gerald, actually dies very early in the film. The real villains in this story are very human and very close to Jessie, the movie’s heroine. However, this film isn’t about supernatural horrors or monsters.
Though her character takes action in a way that’s truly cinematic, the emotions driving them still feel real, and the movie focuses on her inner life just as much as the violence.īased on Stephen’s King book of the same name, “Gerald’s Game” might seem like an odd movie to include on this list. Olivia Wilde’s performance is powerful and painful. It’s our world, where Sadie can find more than a few abusers living their lives free and easy. “A Vigilante” is a revenge fantasy, but unlike many in its genre, the world of the movie is realistic and grounded. At the same time, she’s attempting to track down her own abuser, her ex-husband.
A domestic abuse survivor, Sadie now spends her time finding and punishing abusers. The “vigilante” of this film is Sadie, played by Olivia Wilde.
Here are five movies that wrestle with domestic violence: A Vigilante (2019) There’s a fine line between bringing attention to the issues and exploiting it. Considering how common domestic violence is, it makes sense that many filmmakers would tackle the subject. Children also witness a high percentage of assaults and the effects are devastating. In households where there are children, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a 45-60% chance that child abuse is occurring in tandem with violence against a partner. While women are not the only ones who endure domestic violence, almost ⅓ of women worldwide who report being in a relationship at some point have experienced it. Emotional abuse, sexual violence, and threats all fall under the umbrella of domestic violence. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, domestic violence is defined as behaviors that physically harm, provoke fear, prevent a person from doing what they want, and force them to do things that they don’t want to do.