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Death Note

Death Note

Justice is coming.

2017101 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Director
Adam Wingard
Starring
Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Shea Whigham

Light Turner finds a supernatural notebook and uses it to mete out death, attracting the attention of a detective, a demon and a girl in his class.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Death Note?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Death Note streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Death Note?

Death Note earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Heavy for a TV-MA film.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Death Note worth watching?

Death Note's Midcredits score is the 3rd percentile of all films, from 371K ratings across 6 sources. 18% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

3rd percentile

Better received than 3% of films

2nd percentile among Crime4th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)4th
Approval (how many liked it)6th

39 /100

4th percentile of all films

2nd percentile among Crime5th percentile among 2010s

Critics 43 · Audience 39

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

18% liked it

6th percentile of all films

4th percentile among Crime6th percentile among 2010s
18% rated it 7–1082% rated it 1–6

Critics 36% · Audience 23%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

98th percentile

371K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film significantly reworks the original Death Note story and characters.

Fans praised

  • slick production values and competent directing
  • thematically faithful to the source despite changes
  • kept attention and was entertaining as a standalone

Detractors panned

  • departed too far from the original characters and plot
  • poor writing and dialogue
  • bad effects, choppy editing, and ugly cinematography

What stands out

ActingDivisive45

uneven performances, some actors showed potential

PacingDivisive35

too fast, needed more runtime to develop

DialogueDivisive35

often banal and poorly written

Plot and storyDivisive30

deviates from original, focuses on teen drama

OriginalityDivisive30

unfaithful adaptation, derivative of other films

TensionDivisive30

lacks psychological suspense of original

CinematographyDivisive30

muddy, ugly, student-film level

CharactersDivisive25

out-of-character behavior, changed personalities

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Death Note like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseColdContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Dark humor
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its dark, morally serious material straight, blending brooding atmosphere with brutal violence and occasional teen melodrama.
The rideThe cat-and-mouse game and moral dilemmas maintain a taut, coolly intellectual tension from start to finish.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Light's discovery of the notebook through his escalating conflict with L.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe moral dilemma of vigilante justice lingers, leaving an uneasy sense of the cost of absolute power.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).TragedyHubris
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% (this title) · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Hubris: Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeLight Turner's godlike crusade to kill criminals leads to a cat-and-mouse game with detective L, ultimately driving his downfall through overreach.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsPower · 2% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores vigilante justice and the moral line between punishing wrongdoers and becoming a tyrant oneself.
StanceThe film questions whether vigilante justice can be moral, pitting Light's crusade against L's investigation without fully endorsing either side.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
ElectronicOrchestral modernForeground music · original score
Settinga high school and police precinct in a Pacific Northwest town
MusicThe score combines industrial electronic textures with brooding orchestral elements to heighten tension.

Content guide

Is Death Note okay for kids?

TV-MA

Death Note is rated TV-MA. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at moderate (48/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (38/100) and frightening material at intense (75/100). Overall it is heavier than 90% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 37 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • New ZealandR18
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina+16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BGD
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaA
  • Israel16
  • LTN-16
  • LU16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoC
  • MY18SG
  • Netherlands16
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • South Africa16
  • Spain18
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA16+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 90% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 56%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 90%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 50%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 76%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Death Note have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Death Note?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Nat Wolff
as Light Turner
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
LaKeith Stanfield
as L
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Margaret Qualley
as Mia Sutton
newcomer then · star now
Shea Whigham
as James Turner
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Willem Dafoe
as Ryuk
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jason Liles
as Ryuk
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Paul Nakauchi
as Watari
Jack Ettlinger
as Kenny Doyle
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Matthew Kevin Anderson
as Agent Young
Chris Britton
as Peltz

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Death Note?

Movies like Death Note include Black Widow (1987), Untraceable (2008) and Bad Samaritan (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, most are hunter-and-hunted stories, and most are serial-killer stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: law enforcement. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Death Note?

106 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: detective. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.