MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Vigilante Force

Vigilante Force

1976 · 89 min

A gritty, tense action drama about power corrupting a small town, with a cynical edge and bursts of violence.

Directed by
George Armitage
Genres
Action, Adventure, Crime
Tagline
They Hired Themselves A Hero - But All They Bought Was Trouble!
Overview
In a small town in California, the quiet citizens find their lives disrupted by boisterous, lawless oil-field workers who have infested their community. One resident, Ben Arnold, enlists his brother Aaron, a Vietnam veteran, to assemble a group of men to restore law and order to the town. Though Aaron's crew succeeds, the newfound power goes to some of their heads, and Aaron and Ben must again reclaim the town for the citizens.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: Vigilante Force

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the USNot loaded yet.
Directed by
George Armitage
Genres
Action, Adventure, Crime
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • power
  • corruption
  • violence
  • justice
  • betrayal
Places
  • small town
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action7
Horror1
Humour2
Realism7
Romance2
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity4
Emotional weight5

More like this

Titles like Vigilante Force

Movie

The Northville Cemetery Massacre

1976

A gritty, tense ride into small-town corruption and vigilante fury, with a raw 70s biker-movie vibe.

Tense, dark · about corruption and violence

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • violence
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
83 min
Details
The Northville Cemetery MassacreHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Normal

2026

It is a relentless, high-stakes ride through a small community where secrets fester beneath a veneer of normalcy.

Tense, dark, brisk · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
91 min
Details
NormalHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

First Blood

1982

A taut, muscular chase that turns unexpectedly into a raw portrait of a damaged veteran, leaving you tense and moved.

Tense, dark, brisk · about justice · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • justice
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
93 min
Details
First BloodHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

American Siege

2022

A tense, straightforward action thriller set in a small town, with a gritty atmosphere and steady pacing.

Tense, dark, brisk · about power and corruption · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • power
  • corruption
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
91 min
Details
American SiegeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Copshop

2021

A taut, gritty siege thriller that keeps you on edge with sharp dialogue, sudden violence, and a wry, cynical streak.

Tense, dark, brisk · about corruption and violence · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • violence
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
108 min
Details
CopshopHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Magnificent Seven

2016

A gritty, rousing Western with explosive action, a charismatic ensemble, and a somber undercurrent of sacrifice and revenge.

Tense, dark, brisk · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
132 min
Details
The Magnificent SevenHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Walking Tall

1973

A gritty, slow-burning tale of one man's violent stand against corruption, carrying a heavy emotional weight and a sense of grim determination.

Tense, dark · about corruption and violence

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • violence
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
125 min
Details
Walking TallHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Man in the Shadow

1957

A taut, earnest small-town standoff where one man's stubborn decency meets a town's cowardice, building to a bruising, satisfying showdown.

Tense · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
80 min
Details
Man in the ShadowHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Elite Squad

2007

A brutal, unflinching descent into corruption and violence that grips you with relentless tension and moral ambiguity.

Tense, dark · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details
Elite SquadHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Killing

1956

A taut, fatalistic heist thriller that tightens like a noose, its clockwork plot and doomed characters leaving a bitter aftertaste.

Same composer: Gerald Fried · Tense, dark, brisk · about betrayal

Also
Same composer: Gerald Fried
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • betrayal
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
85 min
Details
The KillingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

White Line Fever

1975

A gritty, blue-collar revenge ride that simmers with righteous anger and bursts into rough, roadhouse violence.

Tense, dark, brisk · about corruption and justice · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • justice
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details
White Line FeverHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Devil in Old Town

1966

A grim, slow-burning tale of intimidation and resistance in a dusty town, where fear and violence simmer under a corrupt strongman's rule.

Tense, dark · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details
The Devil in Old TownHidden from your suggestions.

Cast

Where to watch in the US

Change country

We have not loaded where to watch in the US for this title yet. Check again in a day or two.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
action, adventure, crime, drama, thriller
Directed by
George Armitage
Written by
George Armitage
Starring
Kris Kristofferson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Victoria Principal, Bernadette Peters, Brad Dexter, Judson Pratt, David Doyle, Antony Carbone
Music
Gerald Fried
Cinematography
William Cronjager
Runtime
89 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata