FILM REVIEW: Death Wish (2018)

Directed by Eli Roth

* * 1/2

In no way, shape, or form will I discuss the ethics and politics of Death Wish, nor will I let them significantly impact my opinions on the movie. Not only would it be a compromise of my integrity as a critic, but it would also be redundant and unnecessary: the reactions to Eli Roth’s new film are practically identical to the same reactions which the original Death Wish brought. By not discussing said topics, however, will leave little to talk about, as this latest Death Wish is ultimately nothing to write home about in the long run. That said, it is at least entertaining enough

Those familiar with the original can skip the next couple of paragraphs. As for everybody else, Bruce Willis fills the shoes of Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a surgeon in Chicago. He lives in a cushy suburb with wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone) – additionally, his brother Frank (Vincent D’Onofrio) visits periodically. Paul is a pretty cool, calm, and collected person. One night, after being called into work, Paul’s wife and daughter fall victim to a home invasion. Lucy is murdered; Jordan is put in a coma. As chill of a person Paul has been, he is also a passive man, avoiding any kind of confrontation – to the film’s credit, he’s never depicted as a worrywart or defeatist, but rather as somebody who doesn’t find confrontation worth his time and energy.

All of that changes after discovering the fate of his family. Insomnia-stricken, Paul begins seeing a therapist, but it doesn’t help. Nothing seems to help. Eventually, Paul has had it – he manages to acquire a Glock, he throws on a bland hoodie, and begins to take the law into his own hands, hell-bent on wiping the streets clean of crime. His actions catch the eyes and phone cameras of pedestrians, becoming a viral sensation. Because his hooded presence is successful in masking his identity, Paul becomes known to the public as the Grim Reaper.

Interludes between scenes are filled with radio shows and talking heads debating the merit of Paul’s actions, and how interesting how much these resemble the real-life arguments of the merits of Death Wish. Detractors may argue that these scenes exist only to bulletproof the film’s questionability. If anything, Death Wish 2018 should be taken less seriously than its predecessor. Not that it’s a bad movie (not that bad, anyway), but there’s a good amount of the usual Eli Roth excess present here with his typical in-your-face gratuitous violence and boisterously dark humor. Many times, it comes off as sort of a throwback to some of the more notable hyper-violent films from the ‘70s like Dirty Harry and Straw Dogs.

Speaking of tributes, there is a clever nod to Pulp Fiction throughout Death Wish involving Paul Kersey’s (played by Bruce Willis, remind you) stolen watch.

With a name like Eli Roth attached, it should be of no surprise that Death Wish will be a bombastic ride, which I was expecting, and it’s what I got for the most part. What I was not expecting, however, was its attempt at being poignant from time to time, and here is Death Wish’s biggest misstep: the tone. It is incredibly indecisive. Near the end of the first third of Death Wish, a funeral is held for Lucy. Following the funeral, Paul and Lucy’s father, Ben (Len Cairou) go for a drive while having a pretty touching conversation. Suddenly, they stop. Ben has spotted some poachers and wards them off by way of lever-action rifle. During the entirety of this moment, Ben is manically giddy in his actions. These sudden tone shifts perpetuate throughout the movie to distracting degrees.

As far as performances go, they’re just fine. Bruce Willis is, well, Bruce Willis – not a bad thing, but no new ground for him. However, there is a scene where he goes into a would-be emotional monologue about how “I did everything they told me to do” (ripped almost verbatim from Falling Down), and his delivery is almost laughable. Other than that, he gets the job done. Where this topic really shines is in the supporting cast, D’Onofrio especially as Paul’s likeably Average Joe brother. Then there is also Kirby Bliss Blanton as Bethany, a gun shop clerk. Unfortunately, she is in the movie for only five or so minutes, but she just might be the most fun part of the movie with her manic enthusiasm for her store’s product.

Action movie aficionados, allow me to save you possible disappointment in Death Wish. Though there are some kick-ass moments, action is not Death Wish’s primary focus. I’m actually having a lot of trouble remembering some of the scenes, save for a terrific altercation in a liquor store. When the guns do start blazing, they just kind of come and go – even in the climax, which is like Straw Dogs on crack. However, I do want the squeamish to take note that Death Wish can get gut-wrenchingly grisly from time to time, particularly a torture scene in an auto body shop. Gore hounds, you’ll probably have a good time.

I wish I had more to say about Death Wish, but there’s really not much more to say without digging into the arguably problematic ethics of the film. Strip away the name and the controversy, and Death Wish is nothing more than an overall run-of-the-mill vigilante thriller. At least it didn’t overstay its welcome, and thankfully Eli Roth was fairly reserved in his usual tropes (compared to the rest of his filmography, anyway).