Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Death Race

Play trailer Poster for Death Race R 2008 1h 45m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
41% Tomatometer 155 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Framed for a murder he did not commit, three-time speedway champ Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) finds himself at Terminal Island, the country's toughest prison, but he gets an unexpected chance at freedom when the warden offers a choice: Compete in the Death Race as a mythical driver called Frankenstein, or rot in a cell forever. Riding in a car equipped with flamethrowers and grenade launchers, Ames must survive a gauntlet of vicious criminals to win his freedom -- or die trying.

Where to Watch

Death Race

Death Race

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Mindless, violent, and lightning-paced, Death Race is little more than an empty action romp.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Jim Schembri The Age (Australia) 11/07/2008
3/5
A must-see for petrolheads and cineastes alike. Go to Full Review Anna Smith Metro Newspaper (UK) 09/26/2008
2/5
If they don't take themselves too seriously, they can be fun and this remake of 1975's Death Race 2000 just about cuts it as entertainment. Go to Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) 09/26/2008
1/5
Fast cars, machine guns, explosions, babes in hotpants - it's everything a 12-year-old boy could want in a movie. Go to Full Review Joshua Polanski Boston Hassle 07/19/2024
A full showcase of the director’s visual and thematic talents. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 11/28/2020
5/10
A heavy focus on visuals can't overcome an extremely predictable storyline. Go to Full Review Nikhat Kazmi The Times of India 02/28/2020
Gritty action, good-enough drama, Death Race keeps the fun vrooming. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Nick L. @MADDOG1776 Mar 29 One of the best Jason Statham movies ever See more Nicholas T @nicktalbert2025 Mar 8 Bad bad bad 👎 😑 😫 😐 😒 😕 👎 😑 See more Damon G @Dmoney420 Feb 22 Best racing action game ever See more Jaden J @JadenMichael Nov 18 Great film, if you like mad max style cars racing while shooting eachother up , this is for you See more Jonathan N @Passtheacidtest Jul 28 Spoilers: This review contains spoilers, so go watch the movie before you read it... What can I say about this one? A classic action movie! The special effects still hold their own, even though this is an early 2000s flick. Statham has some cheesy lines, but otherwise, this movie keeps it interesting, exciting, and there's never a dull moment. Is it the best movie I've ever seen? Not by a longshot, but it definitely is the best dystopian-prison-racing-violence movie I've ever seen. Definitely a solid action movie, worth your time. Well worth watching. See more Matt C @RT49248539 04/12/2025 If you want a solid action flick with Mad Max style cars shooting each other up and a standard revenge plot, this is your Huckleberry. I enjoyed it for what it is, in fact it was better than I expected. See more Read all reviews
Death Race

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Paul W.S. Anderson

Director

Jason Statham

Jensen Ames

Tyrese Gibson

Machine Gun Joe

Ian McShane

Coach

Joan Allen

Warden Hennessy

Natalie Martinez

Case

Movie Clips

View All

Death Race

Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen is Framed Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen is Framed 2:48 Death Race: Official Clip - Destroying the Dreadnought Death Race: Official Clip - Destroying the Dreadnought 1:50 Death Race: Official Clip - You Can't Kill Me Death Race: Official Clip - You Can't Kill Me 0:26 Death Race: Official Clip - The Dreadnought Death Race: Official Clip - The Dreadnought 2:52 Death Race: Official Clip - You Wanted a Monster Death Race: Official Clip - You Wanted a Monster 2:42 Death Race: Official Clip - Revenge on Pachenko Death Race: Official Clip - Revenge on Pachenko 1:06 Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen Fights Pachenko Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen Fights Pachenko 2:56 Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen and Joe Escape Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen and Joe Escape 1:54 Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen's First Race Death Race: Official Clip - Jensen's First Race 2:53 Death Race: Official Clip - Rules of Death Race Death Race: Official Clip - Rules of Death Race 2:58 View more videos

More Like This

View All
Crank: High Voltage 64% 49% Crank: High Voltage Watchlist TRAILER for Crank: High Voltage Safe 59% 59% Safe Watchlist Death Race 3: Inferno 50% 45% Death Race 3: Inferno Watchlist The Condemned 16% 58% The Condemned Watchlist Faster 41% 52% Faster Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All
Exclusive: David Carradine Cameo in Crank 2 says Statham RT Interview: Jason Statham Chats Death Race, Crank 2 and The Sweeney Box Office Guru Wrapup: Coen Brothers Ring in a New Weekend at the Box Office
View All

Death Race

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Framed for a murder he did not commit, three-time speedway champ Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) finds himself at Terminal Island, the country's toughest prison, but he gets an unexpected chance at freedom when the warden offers a choice: Compete in the Death Race as a mythical driver called Frankenstein, or rot in a cell forever. Riding in a car equipped with flamethrowers and grenade launchers, Ames must survive a gauntlet of vicious criminals to win his freedom -- or die trying.
Director
Paul W.S. Anderson
Producer
Paul W.S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt, Paula Wagner
Screenwriter
Paul W.S. Anderson
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
CW Productions, Impact Pictures
Rating
R (Strong Violence|Language)
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$36.1M
Runtime
1h 45m
Most Popular at Home Now