Under Fire
review by Bobby Blakey
Director Steven C. Miller has been kicking some major ass with films like The Aggression Scale, his remake of Silent Night and most recently his kick ass Lycan film Werewolves. His latest action flick, Under Fire stars Dylan Sprouse, Mason Gooding, and Emilio Rivera. Could this flick bring the promised action, or will it fail to escape the ambush?
Under Fire follows two cocky agents from the FBI and DEA who discover they’ve been working the same case - on opposite sides. Trapped by a sniper and surrounded by bodies, they must unite or die trying.
I have been a big fan of Miller’s films since first seeing The Aggression Scale. If his name is attached, then it is a must watch for me but sadly was late to the party for this one. Thankfully I have remedied this situation and finally let the bullets fly for his latest film and was not disappointed. The film is a simple set up and story that gets us right to the action and fun of it all.
It’s got plenty of twists and turns with most of them you will likely see coming but still work to bring this old school action film to life. It isn’t breaking down any new walls in the genre, but the action sequences, especially the initial ambush, are well shot and brutal, setting the tone of what’s to come. After the main attack it is a game of cat and mouse against the mysterious sniper for survival but also fight within this dysfunctional partnership to survive.
The cast are all good with Dylan Sprouse stealing the show with his banter and comedic timing especially in the action sequences. He isn’t coming off as a buffoon, but enough to keep him interesting and waiting to see what he says or does next. Their dynamic is all over the place at times with some of their actions against each
other a little baffling but still works for the bigger picture to where the film is heading. I wish there was a bigger reveal on the sniper by the end of the film, but it is done well enough to give both Sprouse and Gooding a chance to shine in the final act.
In the end this is an old school action flick that could have easily shown up during the 80s and 90s and one I had a great time with. It’s nothing we haven’t seen in some way before but doesn’t need to be. It leans into what they are delivering and manages to succeed more than not.
Decide for yourself and check out Under Fire streaming now on Hulu and on digital from Voltage Pictures.