Warning! The following contains a spoiler for an early scene in the action movie Demon City. Stream it with a Netflix subscription and read at your own risk!
Netflix is already off to a strong start with some great action projects in 2025, with Ad Vitam being a number one hit to kick off the year. The trend continues with the recent arrival of Demon City, a Japanese revenge thriller in which a hitman takes vengeance on several criminals who wronged him. I expected it to be brutal, but one scene made my stomach turn, and I honestly wish I'd known about it going in.
If you can be triggered by upsetting things and need a heads up before screening upcoming Netflix movies, I'm here to help. Demon City is a fabulous foreign movie with an English dub option for those who would prefer not to watch with subtitles, but there is one moment involving a child I could've done without now that I've already seen it.
Demon City Features A Pretty Violent Scene With A Young Child
Listen, if you are the type of viewer who was upset when John Wick's dog was killed, strap in for what Demon City has in store. Hitman Shûhei Sakata is hit with the iconic contract killer trope where the final job to secure a safe life for his family ends in heartbreak. He is met by a masked group of Yakuza criminals in his home, who inform him he's not getting out of this so easily.
His wife is then shot in the head, and when his young daughter tries to run, one of the thugs lifts his gun, and we see her fall limply to the ground.
I wasn't exactly on board with movies that have violence against children before having a kid, but it's really hard to watch now that I have one. I want to see kids messing with adults, Home Alone-style, not the other way around. Watching his wife die was also pretty upsetting, but the brutality with which the child is handled makes this a particularly brutal moment as a viewer. I'm still thinking about it.
Demon City Is A Brutal Movie All Around And Worth The Watch
I've been looking to scratch my revenge thriller itch for a while. As someone who agreed with CinemaBlend's review of The Crow remake that it was a big misstep, Demon City has perfectly scratched that itch. The parallels are evident, too, between a man who loses everything being left for dead, and then gaining supernatural abilities to take revenge on all who wronged him.
While I think it may be a stretch to declare the flick one of the best action movies of all time, it certainly is in the upper echelon of what I've seen this year, and may end up on the best-of list depending on what else comes out by the end of this year. Demon City has some interesting twists and turns, but I'll leave the rest of it unspoiled for those who still want to check it out streaming.
Continue to keep an eye on Netflix for action this year as more movies roll out. The platform has already surprised me a good deal, especially when it comes to foreign entries, so don't be afraid to watch something just because it doesn't star big Hollywood names.
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