Action movie legend Jason Statham's 2008 sci-fi thriller impresses on its new streaming debut, just four days after switching platforms. Statham shot to fame when he was cast in the role of Bacon in Guy Ritchie's directorial debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and paired with him again for a leading role in Snatch. The critical and commercial success of the movies led to him starring in trilogy and movies like Crank, The Italian Job remake, Hummingbird, and Safe, further cementing him as one of Hollywood's leading action stars.
Statham has continued to carve out a niche in the action-thriller genre, with a few showings against type, such as a ing role in the romantic drama London, and a memorable co-starring turn in the action-comedy Spy. In 2010, he starred as Lee Christmas in The Expendables, a role he has played in all four movies in The Expendables franchise, and played the lead in creature-features Meg, and Meg 2: The Trench. But one of Statham's more underrated sci-fi action thrillers came in 2008 and was a remake of a 1975 classic, which has taken streaming platforms by storm.
Death Race Is Performing Well On Max
The High-Octane Thriller Is Crui The Charts
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, Death Race found a new home on the streaming platform Max, which is where it is performing well.
I feel the movie being so delightfully over-the-top means it provides some much-needed escapism for viewers
Just four days into its stint on Max, Death Race currently sits at #8 on the streamer's Top 10 Movies Today chart. The movie sits above Megamind at #9 and Ninja Assassin at #10, whilst it is currently below The Goonies at #7, The Polar Express at #6, Clash of the Titans at #5, documentary Yacht Rock at #4, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation at #3, Sweethearts at #2, and Elf at #1. How long the movie will remain on the charts remains to be seen, but it's certainly a strong debut for the film.
Our Verdict On Death Race's Streaming Success
The Film Offers Explosive Escapism
It might seem strange for a movie like Death Race to be charting this close to the festive season, but I feel the film being so delightfully over-the-top means it provides some much-needed escapism for viewers. One of the core reasons behind Statham's career success has been his rejuvenation of the action genre in the 2000s and 2010s, as people seek more escapism from their movies, and films like Death Race are perfect to put on and not have to think about, which provides a mental respite from the stress that comes with planning the festive season.
Sylvester Stallone, who would later work with Statham on all four Expendables movies, appeared in Death Race 2000.
Death Race is also one of Statham's more underrated works. Despite its high-octane action, the film received only a 41% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, and a still-mixed 60% Popcornmeter among audience . Between these scores and its lackluster box office, Death Race was easily forgotten within Statham's filmography. Furthermore, the film is a one-off movie that was not part of a Statham-led franchise, meaning that its presence could easily be eclipsed by the likes of The Expendables, which came out just two years later. So, Death Race is a great one to check out for those looking for forgotten Statham work.
The success of Death Race on Max is also part of a Statham streaming renaissance that has been happening lately this fall. Several of his movies have been added to streaming this month, including other underrated, non-franchise works like The Bank Job. Even his lower-rated works like Mechanic: Resurrection, which hit Freevee at the beginning of last month, have managed to make their way into streaming successes. Whether on a subscriber-ed platform like Max or a free service like Freevee, Statham is finding streaming success this fall as more of his movies become available to watch at home.
Thus, watching Death Race is a good way for viewers to be apprised of this recent Statham success. I think it is a great time to re-immerse oneself in Statham's work, too, as the actor has a busy slate of films coming up. Statham will re-team with The Beekeeper's David Ayer for an action-thriller called Levon's Trade. He will also soon be in Mutiny, which recently got hopeful updates with casting information and images. Statham's reign in action movies is far from over, so it is good for genre audiences to keep watching his work on streaming in preparation.
Source: Max
Death Race
- Release Date
- August 22, 2008
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Director
- Paul W. S. Anderson
Cast
Jensen Ames
Joan AllenWarden Hennessey
WHERE TO WATCH
Death Race is a 2008 action film set in a near-future dystopia where prisons are privatized and inmates participate in a deadly televised car race. The narrative follows a falsely convicted man forced to compete in the high-stakes Death Race, designed as a violent entertainment spectacle for global audiences.
- Writers
- Paul W. S. Anderson
- Sequel(s)
- Death Race 3: Inferno
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $45–65 million
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