An Absurdly Violent Gem From a Horror Hall of Famer Wages War on Streaming
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
death sentence
via 20th Century Fox

An absurdly violent hidden gem from a first-ballot horror hall of famer wages war on streaming

It's been swept under the rug in the wake of further successes.

James Wan might have dipped his toes into blockbuster waters to multi-billion dollar success with Fast & Furious 7 and the DCEU’s Aquaman franchise, but his career had already long since marked him out as a first-ballot candidate for entry into the horror hall of fame. Prior to his big budget excursions, the filmmaker did broaden his creative horizons with an old-school vigilante thriller, but 2007’s Death Sentence arguably remains the most unheralded entry in his back catalogue.

Recommended Videos

Having created two of the most lucrative properties in the history of horror via The Conjuring Universe and Saw, it’s understandable that blood and guts are often the first thing that comes to mind when reminiscing on what Wan has brought to the Hollywood table over the course of the last two decades.

death sentence
via 20th Century Fox

Death Sentence‘s status as a hidden gem is amplified by the fact it flopped at the box office after failing to recoup its $20 million budget, without mentioning a 20 percent Rotten Tomatoes score from critics being comfortably outshone by a 60 percent user rating further reinforcing is credentials as an unsung fan favorite

15 years on from its inauspicious debut, and the story of Kevin Bacon’s grieving father taking justice into his own hands after witnessing the murder of his son has been surging on streaming, with Death Sentence cracking the Starz Top 10 most-watched list in both the United States and United Kingdom, per FlixPatrol.

It may not be Wan’s best, but it’s definitely in with a shout of being his most underrated.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell
News, reviews, interviews. To paraphrase Keanu Reeves: Words. Lots of words.