Eye for an Eye

Karen McCann, a grieving mother in Los Angeles, can no longer trust the system after her 17-year-old daughter is raped and killed. A courtroom that seems to promise justice ends in disappointment as the jurors refuse to convict the suspect, Robert Doob. Frustration hardens into a fierce resolve, and Karen, alongside her husband Mack, begins to test the limits of law and vengeance, moving from quiet suspicion to public outrage. She faces a media glare, a legal tug of war, and the personal toll on their marriage and family life as neighbors take sides. Life inside their home changes as neighbors question every move they make and the line between victim and avenger becomes blurred. The film tracks how private fury collides with public justice, and how a community responds when one family pushes beyond legal boundaries. The score, tense performances, and ethical questions keep the focus on personal loss and the gray areas of accountability.

Directed by John Schlesinger, Eye for an Eye arrived in 1996 with a script by Erika Holzer, Amanda Silver, and Rick Jaffa. It presents an original story set in Los Angeles, focusing on a mother’s moral crisis amid a flawed legal system, and proven performances.

Critics offered mixed takeaways, praising the cast's intensity while questioning how far a mother can justify punishment when the courtroom fails. The film probes themes of vengeance, accountability, and the moral costs of taking justice into your own hands, including the collateral damage to loved ones and communities.

It sits among 1990s thrillers that question due process and personal retribution, contributing to broader discussions about how public opinion can press prosecutors and juries. The film's premise of a mother fighting back adds a starkly human angle to vigilante stories, and echoes in later courtroom and police dramas.

The film grossed about 26,877,589 worldwide on a 20 million budget, placing it in the low to mid range for dramas of its era and giving it a modest but steady post theatrical run.