Death Wish
2018 · Directed by Eli Roth
Original language: English
- action
- crime
- thriller
- drama
The story
A mild-mannered father is transformed into a killing machine after his family is torn apart by a violent act.
What it’s like
Cold, washed-out Chicago streets under overcast daylight and sodium-orange night, with a grimy, mid-budget digital sheen and a restless handheld camera that lingers on hospital corridors, dim apartments and rain-slicked alleys. The score leans on pulsing synths and heavy percussion during action, dropping into hollow quiet between set pieces. The vibe is bleak and simmering, a revenge fantasy with a cold, joyless edge. It suits a late-night watch alone when you want tension and momentum rather than comfort. Pacing is brisk, with the middle third built around escalating shootouts and street-level confrontations, and the emotional register stays flat and grim, following a quiet suburban man who gradually becomes ruthless and detached. Violence is frequent and graphic: multiple gunshot kills, bloody wounds and a home-invasion sequence with real brutality, plus a kidnapping and crime-thriller menace throughout, though gore is more blunt than lingering. Not gentle. It is for viewers who enjoy hard-edged vigilante thrillers and don't mind a grim, unsentimental tone.
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