Jon Bernthal Delivers in The Punisher One Last Kill

A 60-minute runtime. That’s it.

While Hollywood chases two-hour blockbusters that bloat the theatrical experience, Disney+ just dropped “The Punisher: One Last Kill,” a tight, 60-minute special presentation that actually respects your time. It’s a pleasant surprise for MCU fans who have been staring at the ceiling wondering where the quality went. The official title is a mouthful — “A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill” — but the result is concise. It’s gritty. It’s brutal. And unlike most streaming entries, it doesn’t drag.

Jon Bernthal nails Frank Castle’s guilt, anger, and grief. He’s not just shooting people; he’s exploring the emotional wreckage left behind. For context, this is a former Marine whose family was murdered by the mob, now on a vengeance run that bleeds into a broader war on corruption. The movie focuses on him, not the ensemble. It’s accessible to new audiences but hits hard for those who mourned the Netflix series. Bernthal’s performance captures the violence but also the complicated emotions beneath it. He’s scary, sure, but you root for him. The film shines a surprisingly nuanced light on mental health issues, showing flashes of endearment that make the brutality feel earned rather than gratuitous.

It’s a dark ride, but on paper, it’s the Punisher at his finest.

Then there’s “We Bury the Dead” on Hulu.

This one is more interesting than it is good. It’s a zombie movie that prioritizes emotions over scares or worldbuilding. The plot starts with America accidentally letting off an experimental bomb along Australia’s coastline, a detail that feels alarmingly topical given the last year or so of global chaos. Daisy Ridley plays America, a volunteer helping to clean up the bodies. She’s hoping to slip away and find her husband. Instead, she finds zombies.

Corpses that have started walking around in some semblace of life.

The script is an outline, not a finished narrative. It drifts through moments of sometimes-compelling imagery, propelled more by Ridley’s expressiveness than a fully fleshed-out story. The movie has some thoughtful ideas about what it means to be human, but it never quite gels into a gripping whole. Some of these ideas were already covered more effectively in “28 Years Later.”

The best scene isn’t the gore. It’s a quiet, unexpectedly kind moment that hits harder than the death and decay. It’s the kind of moment you don’t see often in zombie movies. Ridley’s performance fills in the character details the script forgot to write.

Let’s look at the local angle, or rather, the lack thereof. These are streaming titles, so there’s no property tax impact here. No new road construction. No traffic delays on US-6. But there is a cost to attention. We’re all spending money on subscriptions. Disney+ and Hulu are competing for your eyeballs. “One Last Kill” delivers value for the price of admission. “We Bury the Dead” delivers a vibe.

The contrast is stark. One movie respects the format. The other treats it like a sketch.

Bernthal’s performance in “One Last Kill” is the standout. He captures the violence and the far more complicated emotions beneath it. It’s not for everyone. If you want a light comedy, stay away. But if you want to see Castle at his finest, this is it. It’s fantastic.

“We Bury the Dead” is a different beast. It’s more interesting than good. It’s an outline. It’s a vibe. It’s Daisy Ridley trying to carry a script that’s missing its backbone. The experimental bomb along the Australian coastline is a nice touch, but it doesn’t save the movie from drifting.

The bottom line? “One Last Kill” is a win. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s brutal. “We Bury the Dead” is a mixed bag. It’s haunting, but it’s not a finished narrative.

Choose wisely. Your subscription budget depends on it.