Time: 111 Minutes
Cast:
Kevin Bacon as Nick Hume
Garrett Hedlund as Billy Darley
Kelly Preston as Helen Hume
Aisha Tyler as Detective Jessica Wallis
John Goodman as Bones Darley
Director: James Wan

Nick Hume’s perfect life is changed forever when he witnesses a gruesome murder. Transformed by grief he eventually comes to the conclusion that no challenge is too big when protecting his family.

Death Sentence was the last film from James Wan I had left to watch. It’s a revenge thriller, and one of his few non-horror movies, alongside Furious 7 and the Aquaman movies. I think it’s one of Wan’s underrated movies.

Death Sentence is a throwback to the vigilante and revenge thrillers of the 70s, mainly Death Wish (even though I never watched it). While there’s plenty of those types of movies, it was quite effective. For one, it is genuinely mean and grimy, as it pushes Kevin Bacon’s protagonist to the breaking point and past it. Also, the story is decent enough; there are genuine emotional moments, helped by the convincing family dynamic. Not only that, but it really focuses on the consequences of vigilantism. Compared to other similar movies, it isn’t necessarily all in on praising its protagonist descent to violence as a good thing. Also compared to other similar revenge thrillers, the lead character doesn’t become a vigilante overnight. Death Sentence takes its time and is a slow burn, as we see an evolution in Bacon’s character. The third act is where it pays off and goes all in on the violence and revenge, concluding with the right ending for the film.

The actors play their part well. Kevin Bacon is great and convincing as an everyman who is put through the wringer, while also convincingly portraying his dark side and it feels genuine and natural. Garrett Hedlund is really good in a villain role, and John Goodman is great in his few scenes.

The movie strongly benefits from James Wan’s strong direction. The action is bleak and brutal with grisly special effects. The violence is messy and uncomfortable, and the brutality is well applied. So while it is satisfying to watch (mainly in the third act), it never feels like it betrays the anti-vigilante approach. Even in the scenes without violence, the camera movements and the grimy cinematography help to give this unsettling feeling throughout. Not all the music choices fitted, a lot of them felt out of place. However, Charlie Clouser’s score (who composed the music for Saw and Dead Silence) added a lot to the tone of the film.

Death Sentence is a grimy and brutal action revenge thriller, strongly directed, and with great performances (especially from Kevin Bacon). It’s one of James Wan’s most underrated movies, and is well worth checking out.