Terminal Island, New York: 2020. Overcrowding in the US penal system has reached a breaking point. Prisons have been turned over to a monolithic Weyland Corporation, which sees jails full of thugs as an opportunity for televised sport. Adrenalized inmates, a global audience hungry for violence and a spectacular, enclosed arena come together to form the 'Death Race', the biggest, most brutal event.
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, this 2008 science-fiction action thriller imagines a near future where overcrowded American prisons have been handed to a powerful corporation that turns inmates into gladiators. On Terminal Island, convicts compete in the Death Race, a brutal, televised motor-combat spectacle staged for a bloodthirsty global audience. Combining action, science fiction, and thriller elements, the film delivers high-velocity carnage alongside a grim satire of incarceration and media spectacle. It suits viewers who enjoy fast, hard-edged dystopian action. The film holds a MagicMovieScore of 6.3.
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Jason Statham
Jensen Ames

Joan Allen
Warden Hennessey

Ian McShane
Coach

Tyrese Gibson
Machine Gun Joe Mason

Natalie Martinez
Elizabeth Case

Max Ryan
Pachenko

Jason Clarke
Guard Ulrich

Frederick Koehler
Lists
3,984 ratings. The score is reasonably stable but could shift up to 0.06 as more ratings come in.
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Release Date
August 22, 2008
Runtime
1h 45m
Rating
R
Genres
Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Director