Rising through the rank as an esteemed action star in the late 80s as well as throughout the 90s by headlining theDie Hard franchiseand starring in such classics likeThe Fifth Elementand12 Monkeys(among many others),Bruce Willisquickly garnered a large and loyal fan base with his unique presence and dedication to the craft. Receiving numerous awards over the years, which include Emmys, People’s Choice Awards, and a Golden Globe, he has surely cemented his legacy through time. With a career that never seemed to stop chugging along, avid followers of his were shocked and quite distressed to hear in March 2022 that Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a disease that gradually worsens the mental and behavioral patterns of a person.
Shortly before his retirement, Willis signed on to star in a trilogy of films in a franchise titledDetective Knight.Detective Knight: Roguewas released on July 14, 2025, with the sequelDetective Knight: Redemptionhitting two months later on August 09, 2025. The third and final entry,Detective Knight: Independence, was released on June 04, 2025. The trilogy was distributed through Lionsgate and was released Paid Video on Demand (PVOD). Willis stars as Detective James Knight, a soft-spoken but heroic police officer who we find out about more in every entry. Here are why they are worth watching.
Bank Robbers, Christmas Cults, and Vigilante EMTs
InRogue, James Knight hunts down professional and violent heisters who critically injure his partner after a bank robbery shootout. We come to see that even though Knight operates on the right side of the law, his past intertwines with the wrong people, which does add another layer to the character. InRedemption, he finds himself on the wrong side of prison bars because of his unjust actions in the previous film. He is only let out to stop an insane cult-like figurehead called the Christmas bomber who wants to make the world anew by blowing up banks and killing civilians. Not only being a direct continuation of the first, actor Paul Johansson proves to be a fantastic and twisted villain in contrast to Willis’ calculated demeanor. InIndependence, Knight is teamed up with his original partner once more. The main antagonist for the final release is a paramedic named Dezi, who becomes a merciless vigilante after feeling as though the entire world does not appreciate what he does. Viewers finally have a glance into some of Knight’s family.
Related:Exclusive: Detective Knight Writer-Director on Bruce Willis Action Trilogy
By no means are any of these filmsmillion-dollar blockbusters. Some viewers may even walk away questioning why Bruce Willis is even trying at this point and conclude with a statement proclaiming that he should be at home resting with his family. While there is some truth to these thoughts, the producers and writers behind theDetective Knightmovies have orchestrated the entire trilogy in a way that turns out favorable for Mr. Willis and his debilitating wellness. While the careered actor is, of course, in the spotlight at times (as he should be), a good amount of runtime is dedicated to diving into other characters and taking a look at their inner conflicts, emotional arcs, and outer profiles. These creative choices not only lighten the load for the actor in this trying time but also give an opportunity for up-and-coming names to shine in their individual roles.
Bruce Willis and Brilliant Sub-Plots
For example,Roguefeatures a side character named Casey Rhodes (played by Beau Mirchoff), who goes through a transformative and redeeming arc. Even though he starts out as just one of thebank robbersat the beginning, scenes are spent with him in his house, interacting with his wife and daughter. He then calls them urgently later on when they may be in danger. InRedemption, a good amount of time is taken to develop the main villain, who goes from preaching in jail to enacting a riot to recruiting others in a nearby safe house. There’s also a fascinating subplot concerning Knight’s wheelchair-ridden partner investigating the corrupt mayor and his connection with the bomber.
Related:10 Movie Villains Who Redeemed Themselves
Finally, when it comes toIndependence, the audience slowly witnesses the lone EMT devolve from a lifesaver to atwisted kind of liberator. We see him struggling day in and day out with his job and eventually becoming frenzied when the pressures become too much for him to handle. While these movies will definitely tend to those that want to catch a few glimpses of Bruce Willis before he retires, he also serves another purpose here that many audience members just do not capture. He elevates those around him and gives back to the industry that made him who he is today.
Not Backing Down Against Dementia
Unfortunately, some scenes do end up capturing his loosening grip on his once formidable acting poise. As much as instances like this can very much be excused for a person going through such an unfortunate experience, it’s quite noticeable when says his lines in one long grumble or stays seated when a tense or suspenseful scene arises. This raises the uncomfortable notion of if the producers and filmmakers aretaking advantage of an actor’s declining healthin a cheap attempt to cash in on his recognizable name.
Detective Knightmight not have been how anyone expected Willis' career to end, yet it does serve as a strong final entry for his career. He is most known as an action star, and here he gets to shine in another franchise to show that he still has it.
