Death Sentence

An enjoyable revenge story need not be entirely logical, practical or even reasonable. A revenge film needs only to satisfy the audience’s visceral desire for justice via acts of violent retribution, which Death Sentence does in spades. Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is an insurance adjustor living a perfect suburban life. On the way home from his son’s hockey game, Nick stops for gas in a dangerous neighbourhood and his son is murdered during an apparent robbery gone wrong. When the police explain that there’s little evidence to convict his son’s killer, Nick decides to take the law into his own hands and is soon drawn into an all out war with an urban street gang. Kevin Bacon’s portrayal of a man descending into a world of violence is not a complex one but the frustration and emotions behind the psychological breakdown are convincing enough to create a viable anti-hero. John Goodman’s small part as a sleazy, small-time crime boss will make you wish he had a larger role. The "Life After Film School” feature is a little more interesting than the average actor interview clip reel, with Bacon discussing his early days in the business with three film students. There’s also a series of "making of” features that are pretty much what everyone’s come to expect. Death Sentence may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a solid revenge story that’s a little more complex than Charles Bronson’s infamous Death Wish series and a little less fun than Mel Gibson’s Payback. Despite a few logic flaws that any Law & Order fan will see through, this is film worth a watch. And if you don’t like it, you can at least learn the necessary lessons to exact retribution on the store that rented it to you.