Vigilante is a 1982 American vigilante action film directed by William Lustig and starring Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, Richard Bright, and Rutanya Alda. The movie portrays the story of a group of vigilantes in New York City who take the law into their own hands and seek vengeance against street gangs who are terrorizing the city.
The film begins with Eddie Marino, played by Robert Forster, a blue-collar worker who lives with his wife and young son in New York City. One day, his wife and son are brutally attacked by a street gang who break into their home and kill their child. Eddie's wife is left in a coma and Eddie is devastated by the loss of his child.
However, his anger turns to frustration and despair when the justice system fails him and the gang members are set free due to a corrupt judge. Eddie and his friend Nick, played by Fred Williamson, decide to take matters into their own hands and form a vigilante group to hunt down the gang members and bring them to justice.
The vigilantes operate in secret, using their knowledge of the city's criminal underworld to track down the gang members and confront them in violent and bloody battles. As they gain more support from the public and media, they become increasingly emboldened in their fight against crime and corruption.
But as the vigilantes become more violent and unhinged in their quest for justice, Eddie begins to question the morality of their actions and wonders if they have become no better than the criminals they seek to punish. The movie ultimately explores the themes of vengeance, justice, and morality in a gritty and violent urban landscape.