Death Line
A grisly London Underground mystery turns a hidden cannibalistic survivor into the embodiment of society’s buried violence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- grisly
- melancholic
- disturbing
- late night horror viewing
- cult film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, distressing, unusually human horror work whose subterranean imagery supports a serious commentary on violence and social degradation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Tube tunnels function as an underworld beneath London's complacent surface society, embodying a literal and thematic descent.
The Man is a cannibalistic killer, yet the film emphasizes his degraded humanity and survival within catastrophic conditions.
The London Underground tunnels conceal disappearances, cannibalism, sexual violence, and an isolated underworld beneath public transit.
Inspector Calhoun's independent Scotland Yard investigation contrasts with Alex and Pat's direct, emotionally charged exposure to the underground threat.
Films like Death Line, and why
The Crazies
underground horror, social allegory, bleak atmosphere, and humanized monstrosity
Night of the Living Dead
disturbing body horror, societal collapse, and formally ambitious horror imagery
The Last House on the Left
urban paranoia, institutional violence, and grimy 1970s genre filmmaking
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
claustrophobic subterranean setting, grotesque violence, and psychologically unsettling horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Gary Sherman
- Release Date
- 1972-10-13
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (135)
Cast
- Donald Pleasence
- Norman Rossington
- David Ladd
- Sharon Gurney
- Hugh Armstrong
- June Turner
- Clive Swift
- James Cossins
- Heather Stoney
- Hugh Dickson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Night Flight Plus, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Death Line about?
- A grisly London Underground mystery turns a hidden cannibalistic survivor into the embodiment of society’s buried violence.
- What is Death Line like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Death Line as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Death Line violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Death Line as graphic.
- What did critics think of Death Line?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, distressing, unusually human horror work whose subterranean imagery supports a serious commentary on violence and social degradation.
- Which films are like Death Line?
- Films with a similar feel include The Crazies, Night of the Living Dead, The Last House on the Left, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
- How long is Death Line?
- Death Line runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Death Line?
- In United States, Death Line streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Night Flight Plus, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
