History Film / TheBraveOne

* PoliceAreUseless: The NYPD doesn't come off very well here; first the two detectives trying to find the guys who hurt Erica and killed her boyfriend have a very going through the motions attitude about it, with one even getting annoyed at Erica when she struggles to remember the attack. Then when she tries to get an update about the case weeks later after not being able to get ahold of them on the phone, she finds out they're not even there, and the desk sergeant can't even find her file. They don't even come close to discovering Erica's actions, even though outside of snatching a security camera video tape, does nothing to cover up her spree, even trying to confess at one point, but the officer she tries to tell is only half listening to her, causing her to walk out of the building.
* PreMortemOneLiner: "I want my dog back!" *BoomHeadShot*

* AntiHero: [[spoiler: Erica as the film goes on, goes from clearly defending herself to actively seeking out the bad guys.]]

* CrusadingWidower: Erica becomes a vigilante after her fiancé is killed.

* RevolversAreForAmateurs: Sandy, the store shooter, uses a snub nosed revolver. When he starts hunting Erica down, he does so with both hands on the gun in a manner that would seriously injure himself if he fired the gun (while most of the gases, fire and discharge goes down the barrel with the bullet, enough comes out the sides that it can sever a finger. It's this reason silencers don't work on revolvers).

* DeadpanSnarker: Maercer's partner, Vitale. He's making at least one smartass remark in almost every scene he's in.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/JodieFoster plays a vigilant woman out for revenge in a city gone wrong. Her first big role was in Film/TaxiDriver, where Creator/RobertDeNiro plays a vigilant man out for blood in a city gone wrong.

* WouldHitAWoman: The three thugs that attacked Erica and David, the convenience store shooter, the pimp, and Mortell all have no issue with attacking or trying to kill women.

* MajorInjuryMinorReaction: Chloe, the girl Erica rescues winds up with a broken leg after being run over with a car. She's so drugged up however, she doesn't even notice.

* BrokenBird: Erica is deeply traumatized by the attack, and can no longer feel safe in a city she once loved.

* CompromisingCall: Erica's cell phone goes off almost immediately after Sandy (the convenience store shooter) shoots he ex-wife.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: While attending an art show showing the front of business's throughout the city, Erica sees one of a gun store. She goes to that same store to try and buy a gun later.
* GrievousBottleyHarm: During her assault, Erica gets a bottle smashed over her head.

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Erica takes to smoking after her attack. She quits after the second shooting. Ordinarily, that would be a good thing, but she instead starts shooting people as a stress reliever.

* WorkingWithTheEx: Mercer tries to get his ex-wife to make the little girl in the Mortell case a ward of the court, but as she points out, this would be a conflict of interest,

* BigAppleSauce: The film takes place in New York, with the attack that sets the plot in motion happening in Central Park.

* FanDisservice: As David and Erica are being wheeled through the ER, a sex scene between the two is intersped, as the actions David is doing with Erica a similar action is shown by the doctors and nurses (such as David running his hand down her spine in a loving caress, a nurse is checking her vertebra for fractures).

* OffingTheMouth: Erica kills one of her assailants by shooting him in the mouth whilst also shrieking at him to shut up as he [[VillainousBreakdown pathetically begs for his life.]]

* TheStoner: One of the witness's to Erica's shooting on the subway. He gets dragged into to try and draw up a sketch of her when Vitale catches him smoking a blunt in a park.

** Before that there is Erica going after [[spoiler:the senator with a tire iron.]]

* SickeninglySweethearts: Erica and David, to her art show good natured annoyance.

* InstantDeathBullet: Averted with the convivence store shooter, he is visibly twitching and audibly gurgling on his own blood after Erica shoots him in the throat.

* DutchAngle: The more trobled Erica becomes, the more the camera follows her around in odd angles.

* InstantBulletDeath: Averted with the convivence store shooter, he is visibly twitching and audibly gurgling on his own blood after Erica shoots him in the throat.

--> '''Erica:''' You wish.

* MaddenIntoMisanthropy: [[spoiler: What causes Erica to attack the guy who Mercer was investigating for killing his wife

--> '''Scumbag:''' What are you, a cop?!

* MaddenIntoMisanthropy:

%%* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight
* ShoutOut: The subway scene is almost identical to one from ''Film/DeathWish''.

Erica Bain (Creator/JodieFoster) is a confident, content, reasonably left-wing radio host, madly in love with [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity the city of New York]] and her fiancee David (Creator/NaveenAndrews). Sadly, he is killed and she is beaten within an inch of her life by a gang of thugs in Central Park one night. Emotionally shattered and incapable of feeling safe in the city she once adored, Erica buys a gun and attempts to move on. Fate has other plans, however, as she begins to encounter situation after situation that leave her with no choice but to blow somebody away. As the reputation of the mysterious vigilante begins to rise, Erica is torn between genuine disgust at her reluctant actions and the savage pleasure of dealing out first-hand justice to the blatantly deserving.

%%* AntiHero
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Erica wants to kill those who do wrong, [[spoiler:get revenge on the thugs that killed her fiance and get her dog back]].

%%* BigAppleSauce

%%* CastingGag - Creator/JodieFoster, given her role in ''Film/TaxiDriver''.
%%* TheCityNarrows
%%* CityNoir
%%* ADarkerMe - Erica's even acutely aware of the concept.

%%* IDidWhatIHadToDo - Reluctantly.
%%* MaddenIntoMisanthropy

%%* SociopathicHero - Subverting this is the point of the film.

!!Tropes:

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Erica wants to kill those who do wrong, [[spoiler: get revenge on the thugs that killed her fiance and get her dog back.]]