I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is Mine (2015)

I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is Mine (also known as I Spit on Your Grave III) is the third installment in the controversial rape-revenge horror series. This time, the story focuses not on a new set of characters but revisits Jennifer Hills years after the traumatic events of the first film. The movie explores her ongoing trauma, her attempts at recovery, and how unresolved anger pushes her toward extreme choices.

Detailed Summary

Jennifer’s New Life

Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) is now living under a new identity, working as a crisis hotline counselor while attending therapy sessions for rape survivors. Outwardly, she seems to be trying to move on, but internally, she struggles with rage and unresolved trauma from the events of her brutal assault years earlier.

The Survivors’ Group

She attends a rape survivors’ support group where she meets new friends, including Marla (Jennifer Landon). Marla becomes a close confidant, encouraging Jennifer to talk about her past. However, when Marla is brutally murdered after reporting a man for abuse, Jennifer’s fragile sense of safety collapses.

The Emergence of Justice – Vigilante Mode

Haunted by Marla’s death and increasingly frustrated with the justice system’s failure to protect survivors, Jennifer begins to spiral. She starts imagining violent retribution against abusers, and these fantasies gradually evolve into actual acts of vigilantism. She hunts down rapists and abusers, enacting gruesome punishments reminiscent of her actions in the first film.

Escalation

Jennifer’s killings escalate in intensity, leaving her torn between whether she is a victim seeking justice or simply consumed by vengeance. The lines blur between her therapy sessions, her hallucinations, and her real actions. The audience is often left questioning: how much of this is happening in reality, and how much exists in Jennifer’s traumatized psyche?

Movie Ending

In the climax, Jennifer lures the rapist responsible for Marla’s death. She tortures and kills him in an unflinching, brutal act of vengeance. This final kill signifies Jennifer’s complete surrender to her darker impulses.

The film ends ambiguously: Jennifer is seen walking away, calm and almost empowered, as if her violent path has given her a sense of closure. However, the ambiguity lies in whether this closure is true healing or a descent into becoming permanently defined by vengeance. Some interpretations suggest that certain events may have been imagined, especially given her hallucinations earlier, leaving viewers unsettled about what was “real” in the story.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is Mine does not feature a post-credits scene. The movie concludes with its unsettling ending and leaves the audience with lingering questions.

Type of Movie

This is a rape-revenge horror thriller with psychological elements. It dives into trauma, survivor’s guilt, and vigilantism, mixing disturbing violence with a psychological study of Jennifer’s mental state.

Cast

• Sarah Butler as Jennifer Hills
• Jennifer Landon as Marla
• Gabriel Hogan as Oscar
• Doug McKeon as Herman
• Karen Strassman as Therapist
• Russell Charles Pitts as Detective

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Corey Allen Jackson, who also worked on other films in the franchise. His music balances suspenseful tones with harsh, dramatic bursts that accompany Jennifer’s descent into violence.

Filming Locations

The movie was primarily shot in Los Angeles, California. The urban setting underscores Jennifer’s attempts to live a “normal” city life while contrasting with the dark underworld of abusers and predators she hunts down.

Awards and Nominations

The film did not receive mainstream awards. However, it has been recognized in horror fan communities for continuing the controversial legacy of the series and for Sarah Butler’s intense performance.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Sarah Butler initially hesitated to reprise her role due to the first film’s notoriety, but she agreed after being convinced of the more psychological approach to the sequel.
• The film was deliberately toned down compared to the graphic brutality of its predecessors, focusing more on Jennifer’s psyche than prolonged violence.
• Director R.D. Braunstein aimed to create a thriller that explored the aftershocks of trauma rather than simply repeat the revenge formula.

Inspirations and References

The film is a direct continuation of the original I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and its 2010 remake. It draws heavily on the theme of systemic failure in protecting victims, using Jennifer’s journey as a metaphor for how trauma lingers and manifests.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely released alternate endings, but some reports suggest that early drafts included a more definitive “Jennifer gets caught” ending. The final cut instead left her fate open-ended, adding ambiguity to the film.

Book Adaptations and Differences

There is no direct book adaptation. The film remains entirely within the cinematic legacy of the I Spit on Your Grave series.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Jennifer meeting Marla in the survivors’ group.
• Marla’s shocking murder, which sparks Jennifer’s vigilante arc.
• Jennifer’s therapy sessions that blur the line between fantasy and reality.
• The final torture and execution of Marla’s killer.

Iconic Quotes

• Jennifer (therapy session): “Sometimes, the only justice you get is the one you make yourself.”
• Jennifer (to her victim): “You don’t deserve mercy. You don’t even deserve pain.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• Jennifer still keeps mementos from her past life, suggesting she never truly left behind her trauma.
• Her hallucinations often foreshadow the violence she later commits, blurring the narrative intentionally.
• The support group circle echoes Jennifer’s solitude in the first film, symbolizing the cycle of trauma survivors often face.

Trivia

• Sarah Butler is the only actress to reprise the role of Jennifer in multiple films.
• The film is considered both a sequel and a “meta” commentary on rape-revenge cinema.
• Despite being the third film, the title was changed to Vengeance Is Mine in some regions to emphasize Jennifer’s psychological journey rather than just gore.

Why Watch?

Watch this movie if you’re interested in darker psychological thrillers that explore trauma, vengeance, and morality. It’s not an easy watch, but it provides a more character-driven perspective on the consequences of revenge.

Director’s Other Movies

• I Spit on Your Grave 2 (2013)
• Uncle Sam (1996)
• Christmas in Palm Springs (2014)

Recommended Films for Fans

• The Last House on the Left (2009)
• Revenge (2017)
• Hard Candy (2005)
• Bound to Vengeance (2015)
• Ms. 45 (1981)