Death Wish poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats, William Redfield ... see more see more... , Stuart Margolin , Olympia Dukakis , Stephen Elliott , Chris Gampel , Hank Garrett , Jeff Goldblum , Edward Grover , Marcia Jean Kurtz , Robert Kya-Hill , Floyd Levine , Christopher Logan , Helen Martin , Gregory Rozakis , Fred J. Scollay , Kathleen Tolan , Jack Wallace , Christopher Guest , Eric Laneuville

This drama about a man who takes the law into his own hands was wildly controversial upon first release, sparking much debate about the perceived pro-vigilante stance of the story, and established Cha... read more read more...rles Bronson as a major box office draw in the United States. Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is a liberal architect living in New York City. One day, a group of drug-crazed thugs break into his apartment while he's gone, killing his wife Joanna (Hope Lange) and brutally raping his married daughter, leaving her comatose. When the police are unable to find the culprits, Kersey arms himself and begins patrolling the streets, killing muggers and thieves as he encounters them. While his obsessive search for street justice sickens him at first, in time Kersey begins to enjoy it and becomes a hunted man himself, as Police Detective Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) tries to find the man who is doing the police's job for them, and a bit too well. Jeff Goldblum made his screen debut as one of the lunatics who attacks Joanna. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

67% liked it

20,724 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

24 critics

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Michael Winner

Release Date: January 1, 1974

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: January 16, 2001

Get It:

Stats: 1,081 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Jeff Goldblum Death Wish (wallpaper) Death Wish Death Wish
Upload a Photo | View All Death Wish Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (1,081)

  • blkbomb
    December 17, 2011
    blkbomb
    Paul Kersey: Nothing to do but cut and run, huh? What else? What about the old American social custom of self-defense? If the police don't defend us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves. 

    "Vigilante, city style -- Judge, Jury, and Executioner"

    What a beautiful portrait of New Yor... read morek Death Wish paints. Basically it is telling the viewer that if you walk on the street you will get mugged. One man is mugged like six times in the movie. A little excessive, but it makes its point; even if it is a stupid one. Carry a gun and shoot the muggers, vigilantism 101 I guess. The movie has a very exploitative and brutal nature. The makers also show that cops mean nothing. They won't find criminals, so go out and get a gun and kill anyone that fucks with you. Why, what a beautiful world that would be. Yeah, so by now you can see that I agree with absolutely nothing this movie is saying; from the gun rights issue to the vigilante justice. I may not agree with it, but I actually did like the movie to a certain extent.

    An architects wife is murdered and his daughter is raped by muggers. The once peaceful man takes it upon himself to kill any mugger he comes across. New York is taken by storm, as muggings go down and the cops must decide if this vigilante is worth arresting anyway. He is basically doing their job for them, which leaves them with much more time to do the things cops really like too do, like eat donuts. 

    The character lives by the motto of "Fight fire with fire." He is fighting violence by being just as violent. Whatever your stance on that is will tell you how much you will like the movie. In my case though, I didn't think I would like it at all because of this, but I actually enjoyed Charles Bronson as architect turned vigilante. 

    The movie clearly sets up its sequel when the character leaves New York and moves to the less crime filled Chicago. I don't see myself watching all the sequels to this movie, as this was nothing more than average. But from Chicago, it would only make sense to move on to Detroit and then maybe Boston. You might as well clean up every criminal heavy city.
  • 76Majikat
    October 15, 2011
    76Majikat
    My predicted rating: 4

    How many times can one man get mugged?

    One of the most famous vigilante films, Charles Bronson a one man vengeful vigilante, with a taste for justice, cool and obsessive as each person represents the true culprits he wishes to take out, whilst seeming u... read morentouchable.

    A very watchable film with empathy for the character.
  • ajv2688
    January 1, 2011
    ajv2688
    I saw this on TV a long time ago, I barely remember it, but the story is a familiar one. I should watch it again sometime.
  • ythelastman89
    July 13, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I think if you look at this in the context of when it came out and how incredibly original it was, it is indeed a masterpiece among the crime genre. This takes the 70s politics, economy, atmosphere, etc. and wraps it into one. Charles Bronson stands alone against a sea of crooks,... read more rapists and killers. While he is undoubtedly out of his mind and addicted to killing muggers, there's something very admirable about what he does. Much like Taxi Driver addressed years later, there's bound to be a few people who just won't stand for injustice. Part of what makes this movie so believable and gritty is the grainy filming style and the darkness. Nothing becomes too far-fetched and could essentially happen on the street.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    March 30, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Nothing to do but cut and run, huh? What else? What about the old American social custom of self-defense? If the police don't defense us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves."

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

    REVIEW

    What is the most famous and recognized character of the late screen legend Charles Bronson? Stupid question. There's actually two. Harmonica in Sergio Leone's spectacular western masterpiece "Once upon a time in the west" and a bitter avenger called Paul Kersey. "Death Wish" spawned four sequels and a countless amount of imitators ("The Exterminator" of 1980 being probably one of the most obvious ones) but still, original is always the original. This is just the type of a performance Eastwood could have easily played as well but I guess in the end we all wanted rather to see Clint wasting criminals as Harry Callahan on the right side of the law. Bronson however fits in this role like a glove. He's just terrific and so is the whole immemorial movie. If you want to treat your eyes with an unquestionable 1970's thriller classic "Death Wish" certainly wouldn't be the worst choice to pick.
  • SirPant
    March 1, 2010
    SirPant
    Death Wish was a first and a last it seems. It's sensationalist/exploitist revenge thriller is deep, dark and intelligent, although it might not appear so at first. I love the 70's look, Bronson's on top form, as is Michael Winner. He is a prick though.
  • mjgildea
    February 4, 2010
    mjgildea
    Unfortunately the legend of Death Wish is larger than the movie itself. It's not particularly good, doesn't go where you'd expect (or want) it to and ultimately doesn't really lead up to much of anything. Charles Bronson does well enough in one of his signature roles that spawned... read more several ill-deserved sequels even if you don't buy what his performance is supposed to be selling. The subplot with his daughter and son-in-law was annoying at best, not to mention unresolved. It bugs me that Bronson never went after the shitbirds who beat his wife to death and left his daughter a bad actress but whatever. It was nice to see young versions of Jeff Goldblum, Saul Rubinek, Christopher Guest and Maria from Sesame Street (cashier in the market towards the beginning.) For me, Death Wish wasn't great or bad--just kind of there. Anyways, it's always nice to see New York in the 70s. Even if it was half the shithole this movie made it out to be...
  • ScoopOnline
    December 11, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    Charles Bronson and the Death Wish Trilogy. He is a Legend.
  • deano
    December 6, 2009
    deano
    This is one of the most famous "revenge" movies ever made in the 1970s. This was a very, very simple story and it panders to our base instincts which is probably why it was so successful. Most people want justice, and they want it now... which is what this movie preaches. At the ... read moretime, the movie was shocking. If it came out today, it wouldn't have nearly the impact. However, the early scene of the mother and daughter raped and killed is still horrifying. That will never change.
    Charles Bronson gives a remarkably strong performance as a New York architect Paul Kersey becomes as a national figure - the vigilante. I saw a very young Jeff Goldblum nails his performance as one of the muggers who invades Kersey's apartment, immediately scary and repellent.
  • arashxak
    October 9, 2009
    arashxak
    Vigilante propaganda crap

View All Death Wish Reviews

Critic Reviews

March 1, 2007
Variety

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

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

It's a despicable movie, one that raises complex questions in order to offer bigoted, frivolous, oversimplified answers. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie has an eerie kind of fascination, even though its message is scary. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 7, 2011
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Stylish exploitation vigilante thriller. Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
June 24, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

A morbid little revenge thriller... Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
September 6, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Nixonite gorge-riser Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
March 27, 2009
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

There's an undeniable thrill when Bronson blows away some sleazy mugger. Full Review

Luke Y. Thompson
July 10, 2008
Luke Y. Thompson, LYTRules.com

We know Bronson can be a tough guy, but not so much the mild-mannered guy; he seems to be trying to split the difference the whole time Full Review

June 30, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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

Christopher Null
February 25, 2006
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

A compulsively watchable bit of '70s nostalgia, a curious counterpart to Dirty Harry and an icon of New York-brand justice. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Punisher
    The Punisher (67%)
  • Gran Torino
    Gran Torino (67%)
  • Straw Dogs
    Straw Dogs (78%)
  • The Big Heat
    The Big Heat (100%)

More Movies like Death Wish

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
  • Jeff Goldblum played a bit role in the film.
  • The soundtrack was written and arranged by Herbie Hancock.
Submit a Fact | View All

Death Wish : Watch Free on TV

Death Wish Trivia

  • This actor was famous for playing one of the Sweathogs on WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. He also made a cameo in the movie DEATH WISH as a mugger. Which actor is this?  Answer »
  • Which noted actor made an appearance as a mugger in DEATH WISH?  Answer »
  • Which of the following actors did not portray one of the gang members in DEATH WISH 2?  Answer »
  • Who played Paul Kersey in 4 Death Wish movies?  Answer »
More Death Wish Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Death Wish to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Death Wish News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?