An action thriller with just the right amount of humor? I was sold. Of course anyone would ask why not? After all, the movie stars Scott Eastwood and Mel Gibson. Well yeah, those two in one had me going in with high expectations of a gritty, brooding revenge flick with some psychological drama. And yeah, it kind of tries to be that… but it also tries to be a bunch of other things at once, and honestly? That’s both its charm and its biggest flaw.
Plot-wise (no big spoilers): Scott Eastwood plays Dylan Forrester, a parolee and former sociopath who’s trying to stay medicated and “normal” while dealing with his brother’s death which he suspects to not be an accident. When he travels to their family Island, called Guardian Island, for the funeral, things go sideways very quickly with mercenaries showing up, and secrets unspooling.
The action in this movie is fairly straightforward with the gunfights, brawls, and that classic “siege on an island” setup. Nothing super creative, but it works anyway, at least it’s entertaining.
But something drags it down. And, I think it’s the tone. It’s all over the place. Sometimes it’s a psychological study about a violent man trying to hold it together and other times it’s the boring conversation with the therapist. I just wanted him to follow his own path and ‘do him’ instead of repeatedly seeking advise from his therapist who seemed to be dealing with his own problems every damn time. Pacing is another issue. The first act sets up this broody, almost noir-ish vibe, but the middle sags with repetitive confrontations.
But weirdly, I kind of appreciated how messy it was. It’s not polished. It’s not exactly “good” in the classic sense. But it’s watchable in that rough, pulpy way. Like something you’d catch late at night on cable and not turn off.
Would I recommend it? Only selectively. If you’re into B-movie action-thrillers with a slightly unhinged antihero and don’t mind tonal whiplash, go for it. It’s dumb fun with moments of weird charm. But if you want something tight, or extra suspenseful, I’ll advise you look elsewhere.
Rating? I’d go with a 6/10. Flawed but not boring, with just enough oddball personality to be entertaining.
My thoughts though. <3
PS: Scott did great portraying the character of D Forrester. But I expected more.