Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great when protecting his family.
based on novel or book loss of loved one repayment revenge murder gang shootout police officer killed hospital brutality justice hoodlum semiautomatic pistol neo-noir
MovieFan reviewed Death Sentence (2007)
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is by far one of the better revenge type movies out there. Kevin Bacon was brilliant as usual along with great directing from James Wan. Being a fan of Saw and Dead Silence, both directed by Wan, this was one of the must see movies for me and I wasn't at all disappointed. A few parts in the movie had that 'yeah right' factor, but Kevin Bacon was definitely the stand out performer which made the movie very watchable.
vertex reviewed Death Sentence (2007)
Kevin makes Bacon
The premise of Death Sentence feels very simple and familiar. A happy family suffers from wrongdoing of outsiders and the father wants justice. Kevin Bacon portrays the unlucky father who is just an ordinary man looking after his family. I think Kevin Bacon is definitely the right actor for this kind of role. He portrays the manners of a family man and gestures of a crushed man extremely well. Bacon’s character is very likeable and also believable...at least till some point.
Another memorable aspect of the movie was the action sequences. In too many today’s action films the action itself is shot with handheld camera or the editing is so fast that the viewer just gets lost and looses interest. Death Sentence is a nice exception. The action sequences are directed, shot and edited so that the viewer understands everything that is happening. That gives the viewer a chance to evaluate the scenes and situations and make assumptions what is going to happen next. I think that is a rare quality and something that builds up tension and absorbs the viewer into the film.
All in all Death Sentence is an impressive achievement from young director James Wan whose earlier works include for example highly acclaimed Saw. After watching Death Sentence I am eagerly waiting for Wan’s next project.
Death Sentence is good but it's not perfect. While the first half is really good, the second half gets somewhat out of control. Still, I would say it’s a rare gem and if you enjoy harsh revenge movies you can’t go wrong with it.
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