Rolling Thunder | 4K UHD+Blu-ray

The revenge thriller, whereby a family man is turned into a single-minded avatar of vengeance after those he loves are kidnapped or murdered has become one of Hollywood's go-to cinematic narratives over the last 50 years. But when Rolling Thunder set it down in 1977, it still had the feeling of something fairly original.

In part, that's because John Flynn doesn't leap into the action release quite so quickly as those that have followed in his footsteps. Rolling Thunder takes its time to go through the cracking of a man's psyche in the wake of overwhelming trauma and grief. It's a much more humanizing portrayal from an action sub-genre that tends to glorify dehumanization.

Some great location filming down in South Texas gives the film a real naturalistic, lived-in atmosphere. Plus one of the first notable roles for a young Tommy Lee Jones. An essential 70s film.