Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- propulsive
- violent
- action movie night
- revenge thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film technically efficient and intermittently gripping, but regarded its revenge morality as shallow and its escalating violence as excessive or implausible.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nick Hume responds to his son's murder by targeting Billy Darley and the gang after losing faith in institutional justice.
The gang's pursuit of Nick through a parking garage is presented in a notable three-minute tracking shot.
Nick's bloodletting progressively erodes the identity of the mild-mannered family man he was.
The conflict unfolds among street thugs, gang initiations, police intervention, hospitals, and retaliatory shootouts.
Films like Death Sentence, and why
Death Wish
Shares a vigilante revenge premise, escalating street violence, and morally corrosive crime-thriller intensity.
Law Abiding Citizen
Shares a grieving family man transformed into an increasingly ruthless avenger in a bleak, violent thriller.
Blue Ruin
Shares neo-noir atmosphere, retaliatory violence, and a protagonist consumed by personal revenge.
Movie Details
- Director
- James Wan
- Release Date
- 2007-08-31
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1318)
Cast
- Kevin Bacon
- Garrett Hedlund
- Kelly Preston
- Jordan Garrett
- John Goodman
- Aisha Tyler
- Stuart Lafferty
- Matt O'Leary
- Edi Gathegi
- Hector Atreyu Ruiz
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Death Sentence about?
- After his son is murdered in a gang initiation, a mild-mannered insurance executive becomes a relentless urban vigilante.
- What is Death Sentence like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Death Sentence as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Death Sentence violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Death Sentence as graphic.
- What did critics think of Death Sentence?
- Critics broadly found the film technically efficient and intermittently gripping, but regarded its revenge morality as shallow and its escalating violence as excessive or implausible.
- Which films are like Death Sentence?
- Films with a similar feel include Death Wish, Law Abiding Citizen, and Blue Ruin.
- How long is Death Sentence?
- Death Sentence runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Death Sentence?
- In United States, Death Sentence is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
