On the grimy outskirts of Vienna, ex-convict Alex (Krisch) helps out at a brothel operated by sleazy proprietor Konecny (Poschl) and begins a love affair with Ukrainian prostitute Tamara (Potapenko), who he hopes to liberate from sex work. After pulling a bank heist in the country near his grandfather's farmhouse for needed cash, Alex drifts into the orbit of friendly housewife Susanne (Strauss) and her husband Robert (Lust), a local policeman.

Two couples find their lives entwined in surprisingly cathartic ways in Götz Spielmann's tense, Oscar-nominated dramatic thriller "Revanche,”" which effectively collides portraits of seamy city life and the sleepier routines of small-town existence. Underneath the coincidence of Alex and Susanne's fateful meeting— — he's bored hiding out in the village, she's a bit estranged from Robert and troubled by a past incident involving Alex's grandfather — is a biting story of revenge and redemption that slowly bubbles to the surface. This film” is a well-honed, meticulously directed nail-biter.