Death Wish (2018)
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The story
Paul Kersey, a trauma surgeon living in Chicago with his wife and daughter, faces a nightmare when his family is targeted by armed criminals during a visit to a restaurant. After a violent home invasion leaves his wife dead and his daughter in a coma, Paul becomes frustrated with the lack of police progress. He decides to take matters into his own hands, beginning a dangerous journey of retribution against the criminals responsible for the tragedy. As he takes action against various criminals, his growing war against violence gains both public support and condemnation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his wife Lucy is killed and his daughter Jordan is left in a coma following a home invasion, surgeon Paul Kersey begins a vigilante crusade. He starts by practicing with a seized firearm and eventually takes down a carjacker, earning the nickname 'Grim Reaper.' He then targets a drug dealer known as 'Ice Cream Man' and tracks down a group of criminals including 'Fish' and 'Joe.' After a series of violent confrontations and negotiations with the police, Paul discovers that a man named Knox was involved in the initial attack. Paul eventually faces off against Knox in a final confrontation where he kills Knox's men and ultimately kills Knox himself. The film ends with Paul and his daughter moving on, though he remains vigilant against crime.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Eli Roth
- Writers
- Joe Carnahan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Willis · Paul Kersey; Vincent D'Onofrio · Frank Kersey; Elisabeth Shue · Lucy Kersey; Dean Norris · Detective Kevin Raines; Kimberly Elise · Detective Leonore Jackson; Camila Morrone · Jordan Kersey; Jack Kesy · The Fish; Ronnie Gene Blevins · Joe
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- vigilantism; revenge
- Tone and mood
- action; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- remake; medical-themed; home invasion
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1974 film
- Franchise connections
- Death Wish
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received largely negative reviews from critics, who criticized the script, graphic violence, and its portrayal of gun violence. However, some critics praised the action sequences, the director's work, and the lead performance.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 31 · scale: 100 · review count: 32; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Worst Actor · Golden Raspberry Awards · 2019 · nominated; Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel · Golden Raspberry Awards · 2019 · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to star Liam Neeson and Frank Grillo.; Development began in 2006 with Sylvester Stallone.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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