Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- darkly comic
- bittersweet
- empathetic
- indie movie night
- dark comedy evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's unusual superhero premise and Woody Harrelson's performance compelling, while noting that its tonal shifts and ambitions are uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Arthur Poppington constructs the Defendor persona without powers, wealth, or formal training, turning everyday courage into a superhero identity.
The film moves between quick comic touches in Defendor's street activities and the abuse, corruption, and instability surrounding Arthur's mission.
Defendor's campaign to protect innocents is driven by courage but occurs without powers, leaving his idealism exposed to the city's criminal underworld.
The plot explicitly joins a crooked cop, a mob boss, and an abused young woman within the city's criminal network.
Films like Defendor, and why
Kick-Ass
shares a grounded, unconventional superhero premise, dark comedy, and emotionally vulnerable protagonist
Taxi Driver
shares a troubled outsider becoming a violent, psychologically unstable vigilante in a crime-focused urban drama
The King of Comedy
shares a tragicomic portrait of an alienated person whose delusions reshape an ordinary life
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Stebbings
- Release Date
- 2009-09-12
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (631)
Cast
- Woody Harrelson
- Kat Dennings
- Elias Koteas
- Kristin Booth
- Clark Johnson
- Michael Kelly
- Lisa Ray
- Sandra Oh
- A.C. Peterson
- Tony Nappo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Defendor about?
- An unpowered, psychologically fragile vigilante wages a homemade war on urban corruption while trying to protect those the system abandons.
- What is Defendor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Defendor as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Defendor violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Defendor as moderate.
- What did critics think of Defendor?
- Critics broadly found the film's unusual superhero premise and Woody Harrelson's performance compelling, while noting that its tonal shifts and ambitions are uneven.
- Which films are like Defendor?
- Films with a similar feel include Kick-Ass, Taxi Driver, and The King of Comedy.
- How long is Defendor?
- Defendor runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Defendor?
- In United States, Defendor streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
