Eye For An Eye (1995)

8% of critics liked it
(36 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(18,454 ratings)

An ordinary woman is driven to the point of violent revenge in this tense thriller. Karen McCann (Sally Field) is a suburban wife and working mother with two daughters. Karen's life is turned upside down when her 17-year-old daughter is raped and murdered, a crime she overhears on her cellular… More An ordinary woman is driven to the point of violent revenge in this tense thriller. Karen McCann (Sally Field) is a suburban wife and working mother with two daughters. Karen's life is turned upside down when her 17-year-old daughter is raped and murdered, a crime she overhears on her cellular phone. Sgt. Denillo (Joe Mantegna), a bright and resourceful police detective, soon tracks down the culprit, an especially sleazy criminal named Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland). However, due to a minor technicality, Doob escapes conviction, even though he's clearly guilty. Karen's husband Mack (Ed Harris) suppresses his grief and tries to go on with his life, but Karen doesn't find this quite so easy; she joins a support group for parents of murdered children, and she discovers that within the group is an underground society that seeks vigilante justice against killers who've slipped through the net of the judicial system. Karen buys a gun, learns how to use it, and begins training in martial arts. She starts keeping tabs on Doob, and learns that he not only intends to kill again, he's targeting her younger daughter. Beverly D'Angelo co-stars as Karen's best friend Dolly, and Philip Baker Hall plays Sidney Hughes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 51 min.
Directed By: John Schlesinger
Written By: Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 12, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Apr 16, 2002
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
[A] really awful, hysterical thriller.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
This blatant button-pusher plays upon our most primal emotions as well as the increasing disdain for the criminal justice system.
Joe Leydon, Variety
A B movie that somehow won the lottery and got an A-movie cast and director.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Never in his varied career has Mr. Schlesinger made a film as mean-spirited and empty as this.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Dumb dips from oppressive to offensive in this Sally Field suspense drama, which actually comes out for vigilantism.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This movie is intellectually corrupt because it deliberately avoids dealing with the issues it raises.
, Film4
Although it poses the interesting moral dilemma behind taking the law into your own hands, Schlesinger's film borders on the distasteful in its portrayal of rape and murder.
, Empire Magazine
Any pretence of thoughtful debate has long since been abandoned.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Directed by John Schlesinger from a screenplay by the Posse Comitatus.
, Time Out
The characterisation is so thin, and the plotting so crude, it's only the violence which sets this apart from the banalities of TV fare.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Falls as flat as a flapjack
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Much too overwrought and ridiculous to be taken seriously.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Rotten revenge flick. Avoid.
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Embarrassing.
Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday Times (Australia)
Sally Field versus Kiefer Sutherland...? I like it!
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Shamelessly ugly and obvious revenge garbage.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Arash X

I expected more from the director of Midnight Cowboy, Makes a few fair points but overall disappointing
Dean M

The film is slickly mad and suspenseful, but manipulative and unpleasant; under the lynch-mob surface there are hints of a more honest, thoughtful film about grief, loss, and anger.
Lady D

Starting with a dramatic opening, this film is quite good on a few different levels. the revenge plot is the most clear, but it also deals with the loss and anger of loosing a loved one, technicalities and loopholes of the law and also the pure rage that can dirive your average… More
Starting with a dramatic opening, this film is quite good on a few different levels. the revenge plot is the most clear, but it also deals with the loss and anger of loosing a loved one, technicalities and loopholes of the law and also the pure rage that can dirive your average person to want to kill. Sutherland plays the bad guy pretty well. VERDICT: Definitely worth a watch and leads you to question yourself if you were in the same position.
Candy R

Excellent thriller. Great cast.
Jennifer X

sally field's obsession with finding her daughter's killer is a kind of unsettling. and that denouement scared the crap out of me when i was younger.
jay n

love sally but this is an ugly film
Lee K

Very good pic that is one of the few movies that Keifer Sutherland did playing the villain. I for one are so used to him portraying the hero, eg. Jack Bauer in 24. Its nice occasionally to see him change it up and he does it extremly well here as well. Good performances all around… More
Very good pic that is one of the few movies that Keifer Sutherland did playing the villain. I for one are so used to him portraying the hero, eg. Jack Bauer in 24. Its nice occasionally to see him change it up and he does it extremly well here as well. Good performances all around expecially Sally Field.
Jim W

I think Kiefer Sutherland gives the best performance in the movie. He plays man who kills Sally Fields young daughter out of cold blood. He gets off and she learns how to fire a gun to protect her family from him. Sutherland is in better "Big Bad Wolf" form than he… More
I think Kiefer Sutherland gives the best performance in the movie. He plays man who kills Sally Fields young daughter out of cold blood. He gets off and she learns how to fire a gun to protect her family from him. Sutherland is in better "Big Bad Wolf" form than he was in Freeway even. If it wasn't for him, I'd say the movie should have went straight to Lifetime.
monty h

I remember seeing the preview for this movie and it was so good that the audience was like damn, gotta see that. It's a good thriller type movie and Sally Field is great. Kiefer is very creepy as the pyscho.

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Sally Field as Karen McCann

            Kiefer Sutherland as Robert Doob

            Ed Harris as Mack McCann

            Beverly D'Angelo as Dolly Green

            Joe Mantegna as Detective Sgt. Denillo

            Wanda Acuna as Hispanic Housewife

            Patricia Belcher as Quarreling Woman

            Olivia Burnette as Julie McCann

            Nicholas Cascone as Howard Bolinger

            Keith David as Martin

            Ron Dean as Detective at McCann House

            Stella Garcia as Maria

            Philip Baker Hall as Sidney Hughes

            Darrell Larson as Peter Green

            Tom Lillard as Bailiff

            Donal Logue as Tony

            Jane Morris as County Clerk

            Natalia Nogulich as Susan Juke

            Angela Paton as Moderator

            Sierra Pecheur as Teacher

            Wayne Pére as French Teacher

            Rondi Reed as Regina Gratz

            Francesca Roberts as Parent of Murdered Children Group #2

            Cynthia Rothrock as Tina

            Maurice Sherbanee as TV Salesman

            Armin Shimerman as Judge Younger

            Brenda Smith as Waitress

            A.C. Weary as Newscaster

            Charlaine Woodard as Angel Kosinsky

            Geoffrey Rivas as Hispanic Housewife's Husband

            Cherie Franklin as Parent of Murdered Children Group #1

            Ernie Vincent as Parent of Murdered Children Group #5

            Teddy Vincent as Parent of Murdered Children Group #6

            Alexandra Kyle as Megan McCann

            Rolando Molina as Parent of Murdered Children Group #4

            Justine Johnston as Aunt McCann

            Marie Chambers as Parent of Murdered Children Group #3
See full cast

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