Willis is ready to address the age-old question — “Is he a hero or is he wrong?”
Angry white guys getting revenge on people who kill their wives (other family members too, but mostly wives) has seen many a revival pretty much constantly. 2017 alone saw John Wick get a slick sequel and the premiere of The Punisher’s solo Netflix series. Now, Eli Roth is here to add on to the seemingly never-ending list. The newest trailer for Roth’s remake of the 1974 action film, Death Wish, basically tells us the entire story from the get-go. There’s Bruce Willis. There’s a shit ton of gunfire. Watch below.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis: “Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of his city’s violence as it’s rushed into his ER – until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts for his family’s assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media’s attention, the city wonders if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel…or a grim reaper.”
At its core, Death Wish is very clearly yet another macho fantasy come to life: “if a man really wants to protect what’s his, he has to do it for himself.” With lines like that, how could it not be? The trailer is a polished amalgamation of action sequences with Willis pulling the trigger and delivering some serious comeuppance. Having been attached to the project for quite some time, Willis’ presence elevates Death Wish ever so slightly at least, in the same way Liam Neeson did with Taken and Keanu Reeves does with John Wick. I guess you could argue for a slight horror element to bring Roth back to his roots for any fans of his out there; home invasions aren’t ever ideal. But the overall tone of Death Wish is obviously more Knock Knock than Hostel, with the added caveat of it looking like Roth’s most accessible directorial feature to date.
Death Wish will arrive in cinemas March 2, 2018.