Death Wish

Name: Death Wish
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: July 24, 1974
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 51
Cast: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange

1974

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Ratings

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5.8

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5.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Ratings

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Death Wish

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: July 24, 1974 | R

Starring: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange

Summary: A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks in which he randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark.

Director: Michael Winner

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 93 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

In Death Wish we get just about the definitive Bronson; rarely has a leading role contained fewer words or more violence. Read full review

Molly Haskell

An enjoyable bad movie instead of a purely offensive one. [01 Aug 1974, p.67]

Andrew Sarris

If it were even remotely realistic, it would be intolerable, but the first half of its premise, Bronson as a bleeding-heart liberal who turns, because of a personal tragedy into a gun-toting vigilante, is so patently unconvincing as to make the payoff an irresistibly entertaining exercise in backlash titillation. [29 Aug 1974, p.65]

Staff (Not Credited)

The sense of location is strong, emphasising a hostile, nightmarish terrain; but Winner's recourse to caricature when dealing with police and thugs, and his virtually overt sympathies with the confused, violent Bronson, make for uncritical, simplistic viewing. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Poisonous incitement to do-it-yourself law enforcement is the vulgar exploitation hook on which Death Wish is awkwardly hung. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

The violence is excessive and the plot predictable, although there is some style to director Winner's approach. Read full review

Vincent Canby

Death Wish is so cannily fabricated that it sometimes succeeds in arousing the most primitive kind of anger. Yet it's a despicable movie, one that raises complex questions in order to offer bigoted, frivolous, oversimplified answers. Read full review

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User Reviews

Gloom-shroom

Mar 18, 2022

its a fun vigilante/revenge film not the best but still pretty solid just watch it already

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Voodoo123

Jan 28, 2023

This basic thriller has a few fleeting moments of classic vigilante action and some nice cinematography that at times work well. Production quality is a mixed bag with some poor editing and pacing issues that drag things along. The screenplay is barebones and the plot fails to excite. ThisThis basic thriller has a few fleeting moments of classic vigilante action and some nice cinematography that at times work well. Production quality is a mixed bag with some poor editing and pacing issues that drag things along. The screenplay is barebones and the plot fails to excite. This genre is so oversaturated but fans of it will find something to like.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

millerfilm

Mar 7, 2018

Charles Bronson fascist classic where his character magically becomes the NRA'S poster boy by all-of-a-sudden hunting down and killing pretty much every criminal in the city. The original's book author was so disgusted by the movie that he tried to atone for this.

7 of 9 users found this helpful72

Broyax

Apr 26, 2022

Sorti à peu près à la même époque qu’un certain inspecteur Harry, ce « Justicier » dans la ville a décidé de passer un grand coup de karcher dans les rues de New York après la mort de sa femme, assassinée par des loubards dégénérés…

Ne vous en faites pas, ma petite dame -aurait-il pu dire-Sorti à peu près à la même époque qu’un certain inspecteur Harry, ce « Justicier » dans la ville a décidé de passer un grand coup de karcher dans les rues de New York après la mort de sa femme, assassinée par des loubards dégénérés…

Ne vous en faites pas, ma petite dame -aurait-il pu dire- je vais vous débarrasser de toute cette racaille ! et effectivement il ne fait pas les choses à moitié le père Bronson et ce, dans le plus pur style ‘Bronson’ avec ses deux expressions uniques : il plisse un peu les yeux… ou il plisse les yeux plus fort ! le grand-père de Statham en somme.

Ainsi, il nuit considérablement au film (même s’il ne le fait pas exprès…) et à sa crédibilité générale, bien qu’on apprécie évidemment tout à fait l’idée de départ (un karcher à balles !). Il faut attendre au moins 45 mn (soit la moitié du film) pour que le justicier rende la justice… et encore, ça continue de se traîner plus ou moins régulièrement comme un hamster à moitié crevé dans sa cage !

Seule la fin, plutôt inattendue, redonne un semblant d’intérêt à ce qui n’est tout compte fait qu’un nanar poussif et grotesque… mais il est trop tard, on a presque usé toutes les piles de la télécommande à force d’user l’avance rapide… sur cette daube maladroite qui n’avance pas.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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