Toxic Masculinity Tuesday: ‘Death Sentence’ (2007)

Imagine my shock when, during my run on vigilante movies, I came across one I hadn’t seen, starring Kevin Bacon of all people. And there was a bonus when I saw the gorgeous Kelly Preston, who happened to be one of my childhood crushes ever since Space Camp, playing his wife. I was sold and sat down to watch Death Sentence, which turned out better than I thought it would be.

It’s time again to fight your toxicity by consuming more toxicity and watching Death Sentence!

Plot:

Nick Hume is a corporate executive living in South Carolina with his beautiful wife Helen, and their two sons, Brendan and Lucas. Brendan is the young star of the family. Smart, funny, charming and a sports star for his local high school, Nick seems to favor him over his younger brother. Nick is proud of Brendan’s accomplishments in hockey, who just won MVP for his team, and travels to his latest game.

On their way home, Nick makes the foolish decision to stop at a shady gas station in a seedy part of town. I love being put in the position of a viewer wanting to shout at Nick to keep driving, but you really don’t expect a corporate man to be that aware of his surroundings.

Looks Perfectly Safe

While Nick refills the tank, Brendan needs a drink after his tough game and hustles inside the gas station. While Nick turns and talks to his stunning wife on the phone, he doesn’t notice when a group of masked gunmen storm the gas station with guns at the ready, holding his son and the clerk at gunpoint.

But this is not the usual robbery. The clerk is shot dead by a shotgun blast as he reaches for the panic button, and one of the gunmen goads the other to fulfill his initiation into the gang.

Scared and confused, Brendan just stares at the men with his hands in the air. The tension builds until the nervous robber finally retrieves a machete and callously slices Brendan’s throat.

Nick rushes to Brendan’s aid, tackling the robber who sliced his son’s throat as he tries to flee. As his fellow robbers leave him behind, Nick is able to damask the robber, getting a look at his face before he breaks free and runs into the night and gets hit by a car.

Nick gets to Brendan, who is still alive and holds him in his arms as he gasps and struggles to breathe. But the wound was too severe, and Brendan dies at the hospital.  Nick has to tell his lovely wife Helen that their son is dead, and she breaks down in his arms.

Led by Detective Wallis, the police inform Nick that the suspects named is Joe. Nick picks out Joe in the lineup and tells the police that he wants Joe prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Yet the District Attorney and police tell him that the gas station did not have working cameras, and he is their only witness, meaning it was more than likely that Joe would get a more lenient sentence.

And this scene struck me, as we’ve seen in recent months, the revolving doors of justice that keep letting out ten-time criminals that keep harming the public. It made me realize that this problem has been going on far longer than I first suspected.

At the trial, Nick prepares to testify. Joe sits in the defendant seat, unrepentant. He mocks Nick as he stands, making obscene gestures as if his son meant nothing to the criminal. When Nick is asked if he saw Joe that night, he recants his identification, saying it was too dark to be certain. Without his testimony Joe is let free.

Outside the courthouse, Nick watches as Joe is picked up with the rest of robbery crew and he trails them back to their hangout. That night, the gang gets a hooker for Joe and Nick surprises him as he stumbles to the laundry room. It’s not quite clear what Nick was going to do but a fight ensues, and he accidently stabs Joe to death and flees before he is caught.

Why You Should Watch:

 Believe it or not, this is just the beginning of the movie. Joe was not just part of the gang but the brother of the ruthless leader, Billy, who vows revenge. It doesn’t take long for Billy to put things together and make Nick his target. The title of the movie, Death Sentence, is not actually about the gang, but about Nick’s remaining family, who also become targets.

What follows is a rollercoaster ride as Detective Wallis becomes suspicious of Nick’s involvement in Joe’s murder, and Nick struggles to keep his family alive against the ruthless gang.  Nicks’ idyllic life begins to unravel as Billy harasses him at work and tries to ambush him in broad daylight.

Nick eventually asks Detective Wallis for help without confessing his involvement with Joe, but not even the police are enough to deter the ruthless gang. Death Sentence is a twist on the modern vigilante movie as the protagonist is not an instant tough guy, methodically taking out the bad guys. In fact, Nick spends most of his time running or barely escaping as Billy and his gang are relentless in their pursuit.

The ending of Death Sentence is epic as the final showdown pits a fed up Nick against the killers. While not in my upper echelon of vigilante movies, Death Sentence utilizes gory practical effects that make the violence visceral. It boasts veteran actors that put on engaging performances, especially the enchanting Kelly Preston who played the distraught wife trying to keep her family together. 

Did I mention that the wife was very pretty?

Death Sentence is currently availabe to watch now on Prime Video.

If you want a bit more analysis with major spoilers, check out my YouTube video below!

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