Vigilante films are movies in which a person who has been victimized in some way breaks the law to seek justice. They share similarities in their basic structure with Blaxploitation films, another genre that addresses exploitation. In these films, the hero—who often stands up for those who have been victimized or who, despite being victimized, cannot defend their rights—sees that justice cannot be achieved within the system and therefore attempts to secure justice through his own unlawful methods. Generally, the hero tries to enforce his own principles (an alternative system of justice). The roots of these films lie in the unrest surrounding government corruption in the 1970s, failures in the Vietnam War, and rising crime rates. The films reflect the rising political trend of neoconservatism. Although vigilante films can be found even in the early days of cinema, the 1970 film *Joe*, directed by John G. Avildsen, helped define this subgenre. Many blockbuster films have emerged from the portrayal of vigilante films in mainstream cinema. For example: Batman, Joker, John Wick, etc.