Vigilante

Eddie Marino is a working man in New York City who has built a modest life and trusts that the law protects ordinary people. That trust collapses when a street gang attacks his family, leaving his wife badly injured and his young son dead. When the court lets those responsible go free, Eddie's belief in justice is shattered.

The film follows his turn toward revenge, as he joins an underground group of former police officers who take the law into their own hands and hunt down criminals the courts have failed to punish. Robert Forster plays Eddie, with Fred Williamson as Nick, Richard Bright as Burke, Rutanya Alda as Vickie Marino, Don Blakely as Prago and Joseph Carberry as Ramon, among a credited cast of 54. William Lustig directed from a screenplay by Richard Vetere, producing with Andrew W. Garroni. It arrived in 1983 between Lustig's Maniac and Maniac Cop, and runs 90 minutes.

Made in the United States by Magnum Motion Pictures Inc., Artists Releasing Corporation and Film Ventures International, it took about 5 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.5/10 from around 5,300 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.2/10 from 116 votes, indicating a modest but lasting following. A critics' rating of 4.5/10 from a handful of reviews points to a much cooler response from reviewers than from audiences.