As if he’s the ‘Pale Horse’ in Revelation, Frank Castle is loose in this Marvel special presentation, and hell is following him. The world was first introduced to Jon Bernthal as ‘The Punisher’ in 2016, back when Netflix was making Marvel shows. Having starred in his own series that ran for two seasons, then seeing that series canceled, only to be brought back from the grave once again, proves you can’t kill The Punisher. Yeah, we’ve come a long way since that hospital scene in “Daredevil “Season 2.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard,” Bob Marley: One Love), “The Punisher: One Last Kill” picks up with Frank after his escape from the Anti-Vigilante Task Force during the events of “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2. Almost making you forget this is a Marvel production, the streets are filled with mayhem, and the ruthless crimes on display feel like remnants of a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah, matching the fire-and-brimstone wrath soon to be bestowed upon the neighborhood. In the middle of it all is a focused man carrying a hit list fueled by rage, alcohol, and tremendous guilt.
A Day in the Life of Frank
This streaming special feels very much like a one-shot comic — not here to connect to other aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or introduce a new hero or foe, but simply to give us a day in the life of Frank. There’s not much of a story here, but it’s very straightforward in its approach: some bad people were killed, and now vengeance is barking up the wrong tree. If you were expecting some hidden gem or a major build-up to “Avengers: Doomsday,” you’ve come to the wrong place.
Psychologically tormented and haunted by his past, the special dives deep into the psyche of a man who has made it very clear that his actions are not vengeance, but punishment. With no one to confide in or serve as a voice of reason, the pain radiates off Bernthal, and watching the madness blur the line between reality and hallucination sells his performance in a way that others who have portrayed the character never really achieved. The threatening look in his eyes, the animalistic growls and grunts, and his famous battle cry all tell the story of a madman in pain — but let’s not forget, one who is also extremely dangerous.
So yes, it’s a one-shot — but the red-band issue.
A Loaded Gun
Then opportunity literally knocks on the door. With only a 48-minute run-time, the final act of this special kicks into full gear and gives fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for since the announcement of Bernthal’s return as our favorite judge, jury, and executioner. The streets are flooded with villainy and blood, and it all feels like Disneyland for murderers — so Frank fits right in.
It’s action-packed, with fight choreography that reminds us no nameless henchman is escaping unscathed. And might I add, there’s a “Call of Duty”–style hacker kill shot that genuinely amazed me, only to be followed by some very questionable CGI. You’ll see, It’s pretty atrocious.
This saga of bloodshed may not be suitable for everyone. In many cases, it’s definitely chaotic overkill — but isn’t that exactly what we want? Frank is a loaded gun, pointed and aimed in any direction where injustice is happening. How we got here may have been flimsy, and the story doesn’t really matter or have a proper conclusion; it’s mostly just an excuse to watch Frank Castle terrorize a neighborhood, and honestly, I’m not really mad at that.
“Punisher: One Last Kill” is now streaming on Disney+
