Make America Hate Again: The politics of vigilante geriaction

The article explores the politics of the vigilante geriaction film, with specific focus on the remake of Death Wish (Eli Roth, 2018). In its construction of a nation under mortal threat from within and without, the subgenre speaks to ways in which Donald Trump has galvanised support from older white men by appealing to their sense of marginalisation, precarity and obsolescence. Through close attention to Death Wish’s visual style, representation of masculinity, and its ageing star (Bruce Willis), this article will demonstrate how the subgenre attempts to resuscitate a form of authoritarian heroism considered outmoded in the contemporary cultural landscape.