If You Liked the Movie “Fast and Furious”, Then There Is Another Movie You Should Definitely Watch.
The Fast and the Furious is awesome. Well-written, filled with great performances (especially Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew, Scott McNairy, and rising Quincy star Tyler Bernstein), and offering a nuanced look at the cycle of violence caused by abuse, it made many “must-see” lists this year. One of the reasons it resonated so deeply with audiences is the poignant power of its central storylines: the three main characters of The Fast and the Furious are justifiably angered, woefully limited in their options regarding it, and struggling to survive in an unjust world where even the slightest respect can feel like the only reason to keep going. If you’re a Fast and Furious superfan looking for a movie to watch, there’s an obvious answer: the film that inspired the series, 1987’s Black Widow .
Why You Should Watch Black Widow After Fast & Furious
It’s no secret that Black Widow inspired Elizabeth Meriwether’s Fury , and the connections between the two films are quite obvious. In the 1987 film, Debra Winger plays Alexandra Barnes, a data analyst for the U.S. Department of Justice who notices a pattern of suspicious deaths among wealthy men. She eventually realizes that the young women these men recently married are the same person in different guises, and that this woman (played by Theresa Russell) is seducing, marrying, and murdering these men to inherit their fortune.
Black Widow isn’t as complex as Fury . The plot plays more like a traditional thriller, with Russell’s character being a stereotypical evil, driven more by greed than revenge. But the core of the story offers the same kind of suspense: Alexandra and Russell’s character bond in a strange, subconsciously unconventional way that vaguely echoes the complex relationship between Rossum’s broken rookie FBI agent and Petticrew’s broken serial killer. Meanwhile, Alexandra must contend with sexist and skeptical powerful men to track down the killer and prove she’s smarter than them all.
Watching the film, you can see the very same fragments of history that inspired Meriwether’s more modern and complex approach to the story. And it’s worth remembering how remarkable it was in 1987 to release a major film that not only featured two female leads, but two female leads who weren’t dependent on men to achieve their goals—one of whom actively viewed men as expendable to achieve her own goals (and killed them). This reversal of traditional gender roles was captivating forty years ago and still holds up today. If you want to become a full-fledged “Fast and Furious” fan, check this film out. “Black Widow” is available to stream on Hoopla or rent on Prime Video .
After Fast and Furious , there are other movies worth watching.
Still feeling angry? Don’t worry, there are plenty of other films that explore the same dark impulses and justified rage against the culture of violence against women. Here are a few that are sure to evoke similar feelings as Fury .
Promising Young Woman (2020)
If you were moved by Catherine’s story and her campaign of terror against the men who ruined her life before she even had a chance to live, Promising Young Woman shares its dark tone. Carey Mulligan plays Cassie, who dropped out of medical school after the death of her best friend, Nina, who was sexually assaulted and ultimately committed suicide after the men responsible went unpunished. Now, Cassie haunts bars at night, feigning intoxication to lure and confront men who might take advantage of her, and later embarks on a self-destructive, rage-fueled campaign to punish those she holds responsible for Nina’s abuse and death. It’s a poignant, darkly humorous film, and Mulligan’s performance will remind you of Catherine in a very powerful way. Watch Promising Young Woman on Peacock or rent it on Prime Video .
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Katherine is a victim who allows her justified rage to consume her and drive her to brutal revenge. And if you enjoy watching a woman turn the tables by giving justice to the men who seek to destroy her, then The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is your next step. After all, the novel on which the film is based was originally titled Men Who Hate Women in Swedish, and it introduces the character Lisbeth Salander, who is Katherine but with more self-discipline and technological savvy. The story of Lisbeth’s revenge on the man who attacked her and tried to force his power over her is a (gripping) subplot in both the book and the film, but the investigation into a decades-old murder leads you straight to the same dark, brutal places as Fury . Watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Netflix or rent it on Prime Video .
Monster (2003)
The film Fury was both gripping and disturbing in its uncompromising look at the cycles of violence and the consequences of violence against women. Monster , based on a true story, is a similar exploration. Aileen “Lee” Wuornos (Charlize Theron) is a prostitute on the verge of suicide when she meets and falls in love with Selby Wall (Christina Ricci). Determined to build a life with Selby, Lee returns to prostitution and, after a traumatic, violent encounter, begins killing her clients and stealing their money and cars to survive. It’s a heartbreaking look at what a life of violence can do to a person, in a world where women are often valued solely for their bodies, and the lengths we go to survive. Watch Monster on Prime Video .
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
If you loved Emmy Rossum’s performance as rookie FBI agent Alice Black in Fury , then this classic film from director Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Ted Tally (based on the book by Thomas Harris) is your pick. Jodie Foster (who won an Oscar for Best Actress) plays Clarice Starling, who is taken from the Quantico Training Center to interview the brilliant but deranged serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, whose performance was so good he won the Best Actor Oscar after only 16 minutes of screen time), in the hopes that he will reveal information about Buffalo Bill, a serial killer who preys on women. It’s a tense, emotionally charged story, anchored by Foster’s performance as a young woman in a predominantly male environment forced to deal with violence against women on a daily basis. Watch The Silence of the Lambs on Prime Video .
Destroyer (2018)
Nicole Kidman’s character in Demolition Man , Detective Erin Bell, is a sort of cross between Catherine and Alice from Fury —a corrupt cop who committed a terrible act in the past and has been punishing herself for it ever since. It’s a piercing look at the effects of trauma and guilt, echoing what Catherine and Alice experience: Bell first tries to hide her sins and then seeks some kind of redemption, leaving a trail of corpses and bad decisions in her wake. Bell isn’t strictly a victim in this story—she’s responsible for her own suffering—but her suffering and rage certainly echo the characters in Fury . Demolition Man is available on Kanopy , Hoopla , Plex , or Tubi .