Madeleine Sims-Fewer tells a different kind of revenge story in “Violation,” an intimate and gruesomely violent story of betrayal. Written and directed by Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, the psychological horror pic is a portrait of a troubled woman wronged by a loved one.

Miriam (Sims-Fewer) and Caleb (Obi Abili) appear to be on the brink of divorce. The unhappy couple take a trip to Miriam’s idyllic hometown where they reunite with Greta (Anna Maguire), her younger sister, and Dylan (Jesse LaVercombe), her brother-in-law.

Nicknamed the “White Knight” for being so fiercely protective of her sister, Miriam has made a habit of exacting vengeance on those who have hurt Greta. The sisters seem to love and loathe one another in equal measure. One moment they’re basking in mutual adoration, and the next old resentments are boiling over into heated and willfully hurtful arguments.

And that’s not the only drama going on. Miriam and Caleb are bitter and bickering, making for especially unpleasant company for Greta and Dylan, who are affectionate and encouraging with one another.

One night by the fire, all of this tension and awkwardness takes an inevitable-seeming turn. Miriam and Dylan are drunk and reminiscing, and they share a kiss. Miriam is amused and horrified about being the kind of person who would kiss her sister’s husband, but puts a quick end to to things. She passes out for the night and wakes up to a living nightmare.

“The idea of revenge against the people who have wronged us is very seductive. That’s why revenge films are so popular. But what if the person who hurts you is not some stranger in a dark alleyway, but someone close to you?” Sims-Fewer told us. “No one is really talking about this in films about revenge, but I’m very much drawn to the more complicated side of the story — like the version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ where she can’t take being on land, and realizes that leaving her home for a man was a big mistake, so she throws herself back into the sea and drowns. Morbid, yeah, but far more interesting.”

The writer-director said that she hopes people are “haunted” by the film after seeing it. Many viewers will likely turn away from “Violation’s” most graphic violence, but even the sound effects of Miriam’s revenge against Dylan will be enough to haunt them.

“Violation” is now streaming on Shudder.