Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A mild-mannered father is transformed into a killing machine after his family is torn apart by a violent act.
Death Wish (2018) is a straightforward remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson vigilante classic, transplanted to Chicago with Bruce Willis in the lead. The plot is entirely formulaic — grieving husband turns vengeful killer — with no meaningful subversion or fresh angle on the material. Willis delivers a serviceable but emotionally flat performance, while supporting players like Vincent D'Onofrio add some texture. Eli Roth's direction is competent and slick but unremarkable, with workmanlike cinematography that suits the genre without elevating it. Novelty is essentially nonexistent — this is a paint-by-numbers remake of a remake-friendly property, hitting every expected beat. The ending resolves predictably and without much dramatic weight, offering little catharsis or moral complexity beyond surface-level vigilante wish fulfillment.