Mouly Surya (Fiksi, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts) directs this by-the-numbers mystery action flick about military special operator Parker (Jessica Alba), who on a mission in Syria gets a call from Jesse (Mark Webber), her ex-lover and hometown’s sheriff, who informs her that her father, bar owner Harry Calvo (Alejandro De Hoyes), has been killed in a mining accident, setting the improbable tone for this deeply contrived story about a conspiracy involving Jesse’s asshole brother, Elvis (Jake Weary), and their corrupt senator father, Ezekiel Swann (Anthony Michael Hall, apparently in need of a paycheck).
It’s basically 1980s-style straight-to-video dumbassery all the way through, but I guess Alba wanted to try her hand at action. The script was apparently pitched as a female-led mashup of First Blood (1982) and John Wick (2014) but comes nowhere near either of those films at depicting drama, action, or any real stakes. Alba’s made a lot of mediocre films during her career, and this one’s right down there scraping the bottom.
If you’re in the mood for cliché-riddled dialog, a predictable plot, and uninspired performances by actors who seem to recognize they’re in a dumpster fire, it’s free for the viewing with your Netflix subscription. (106-min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Jul 11-21, 2024.