Film

Death Wish

Name: Death Wish
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Drama
Released: 2018
Cast: Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Norris, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone

Other titles called Death Wish: the 1974 film.

Bruce Willis stars in this 2018 remake of the vigilante classic: a surgeon turns lethal after his family is brutalized. It's blunt, violent, and unapologetic about its premise—a straightforward revenge thriller with little interest in moral handwringing. Made for people who want to watch a man systematically dismantle the people who wronged him.

TMDb rating

3.1

If you liked this

John Wick2014

Keanu Reeves as a retired assassin drawn back into the underworld after a personal loss. Stylish action, real stakes, and a protagonist whose violence is earned rather than performed. The template for modern revenge cinema done right.

But It's deliberately paced and visually precise—if you want quick cuts and constant movement, you'll find it slow. Also requires you to care about a dog as much as the hero does.

The Guilty2021

Jake Gyllenhaal as a cop during one night that spirals into moral chaos. Confined, intense, and preoccupied with the same question: how far will a man go when someone he loves is in danger? Brilliant interrogation of vigilante logic.

But It's almost entirely one man in a room taking phone calls. If you need action or movement, this will feel suffocating rather than gripping.

Man on Fire2004

Denzel Washington as a bodyguard transformed into an avenging force after his charge is kidnapped. Raw, grimy, beautifully shot by Tony Scott. Rides the line between exploitation and genuine tragedy without preaching.

But It's long, uneven, and the early half drags. Some of the stylistic flourishes haven't aged perfectly. You have to meet it in a particular mood.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Death Wish

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Nightingale2018

Both are revenge tales, but The Nightingale asks what revenge actually costs the person who takes it, not just what satisfaction it brings. It's the moral reckoning Death Wish avoids.

Australian film following a woman seeking vengeance through occupied Tasmania during a brutal occupation. It's explicitly about how violence transforms the person wielding it, not just the catharsis of it. Gorgeous and devastating filmmaking from Jennifer Kent.

But It's harrowing—not entertainment, but an ordeal. Racism, sexual violence, and trauma are not backdrop but bone. This is serious cinema about serious suffering, and it won't let you off easy.

The Equalizer2014

Denzel Washington again, this time as a retired operative who can't stop helping people. Methodical, satisfying action choreography and a real sense that this man is doing what he was built to do. Pure and effective.

But It's formulaic by design—good guy spots problem, good guy solves problem with violence. No surprises in the structure, and the plot mechanics are visible a mile away.

Unforgiven1992

Clint Eastwood's masterpiece about an old killer drawn back for one last job. It deconstructs the revenge fantasy while delivering it. Gorgeous, thoughtful, and the performance is everything.

But It moves like a Western, not an action film—long stretches of talk and weather. And it deliberately empties the glamour out of violence, which is the opposite of what you came for.

A Prophet2009

A young man enters prison and builds himself into a force through violence, cunning, and will. Visceral and morally murky—it doesn't judge him or excuse him, just watches him transform. Incredibly stylish filmmaking.

But It's a French film, subtitled, and very long. The pacing is European. Violence here is consequence, not catharsis, and that can feel frustratingly slow if you want clear heroes.

Out of Sight1998

Steven Soderbergh directing a crime thriller with real style—George Clooney as a charming career criminal. Funny, smart, and the action erupts when you least expect it. A reminder that thrillers can be intelligent and entertaining.

But It's about the relationship and the con, not the violence. If you want brutal revenge, this goes sideways on purpose. Also predates modern action pacing—it breathes.

The Nice Guys2016

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as a fixer and a detective forced to work together in 1970s LA. Funny, weird, and gorgeously shot. The violence is incidental to the characters, and the characters are wonderful.

But It's a buddy cop comedy with mystery elements, not a revenge thriller. If you want focused rage and systematic payback, this will feel scattered and jokey.

Revenge2017

A woman hunted on a desert island after being betrayed turns the tables with raw ingenuity. Low-budget French filmmaking, gorgeous cinematography, and a clear-eyed rage that never wavers. Focused and ferocious.

But It's very violent and doesn't look away. The pacing is strange and arty—it builds in ways that might feel glacial. Also European indie sensibility, not American action convenience.

Godless2017

Both are about men with specific skills applied to specific wrongs, but Godless uses the genre to ask bigger questions about community, justice, and whether one person's righteous violence destabilizes everything around them.

A seven-episode Western miniseries where a woman runs a town and a drifter arrives with a violent past. Every episode delivers clean action and moral complexity in perfect miniature. Stunning cinematography and Jeff Daniels being absolutely magnetic as the antagonist.

But It's only one season—deliberately. Some people find miniseries unsatisfying because there's no room for sprawl. Also it's a Western, which means it moves differently than modern action.

Sympathy for the Devil2023

Both examine transformation through violence, but where Death Wish shows a man becoming a weapon, Sympathy for the Devil traps you inside the psychology of someone already broken. It's the interior version of the exterior story.

A single-take thriller where a man and a woman drive through a city for 90 minutes while their relationship unravels. No cuts, pure tension, brilliant filmmaking. Nicolas Cage at his most unhinged and magnetic. It's hypnotic.

But It's genuinely difficult to watch—claustrophobic, no relief, and relies entirely on two actors and dialogue. The technical constraint is also a real limitation: some people will find it gimmicky rather than gripping.