WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Framed for his family’s murder and left for dead, an ex-hitman will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the masked “demons” who have taken over his city.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
The “retired killer seeks revenge” storyline isn’t new. While many call these movies John Wick copycats, this plot existed long before. Shane (1953) has Allan Ladd as a former gunslinger attempts to leave his violent past behind but is drawn into a deadly confrontation to protect a farming family. The Mechanic (1972) has a seasoned hitman who seeks revenge when his own organization turns against him. Even Quentin Tarantino did the Kill Bill films in 2003 and 2004. Netflix’s latest action film follows this well-worn path. It’s fun but adds nothing new to the genre. The movie strips away the supernatural elements from its source material to tell a straightforward revenge tale. The main character is introduced as the deadliest assassin in his city. The opening scene shows him attacking a safehouse—nothing groundbreaking, but the clever visual touches make it entertaining. This massacre was meant to be his “final job” before retirement. We even get the cliché shower scene where water runs down his scars in slow motion—the universal sign for “leaving my violent past behind.” But of course, local gangsters have other plans. They invade his home wearing demon masks, believing he’s a mythical “Demon” who supposedly returns every 50 years on a killing spree. For unclear reasons, they shoot him in the head but leave him alive. His wife and young daughter aren’t so lucky. Fast forward 12 years: the corrupt mayor is about to unveil a multi-billion-dollar entertainment facility with Japan’s first legal casino. The gangsters, worried about bad timing, visit the assassin’s hospital room to finish what they started. But killing him proves harder than expected. The fight that follows shows the film at its best—our dazed hero flops around the hospital floor, turning his IV tube into a weapon. Despite some questionable computer effects, the close-up combat is excellent. The movie takes pleasure in its savage violence, which bleeds into the otherwise generic storyline that connects the action scenes. No character is safe from the bad guys, and even our protagonist happily eliminates old friends without a second thought. The plot has major holes. The biggest is how quickly the main character recovers from his vegetative state. After being immobile for twelve years, he somehow kills two men immediately after waking up. Hours later, he’s taking down numerous enemies as if his skills hadn’t faded during his decade-long coma. The film never explains this miracle recovery. During the climactic fight, the movie pauses to explain the final villain’s backstory. This reveals the filmmakers’ failed attempt to create their own mythology, settling instead for a staircase shootout obviously filmed to look like one continuous take. While borrowing this tired technique, the fight does feature creative use of a fire extinguisher in ways we haven’t seen before. The movie’s social commentary is simplistic: everyone from the mayor to the police chief is corrupt, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. That’s it. Our hero isn’t likable; it’s just that his enemies are worse. The soundtrack features an excessive amount of heavy rock music, and the overall tone is more lurid and less sophisticated than similar films. Despite its glaring flaws, it’s a violent action adventure dark film with bloody fight scenes that is good entertainment if you’re in the mood for a no-frills, bloody action film. What’s nice about this film is that it knows where it originated. Unlike recent movies that misunderstand this trope and turn their violent protagonists into messiahs and role models, this one shows that nobody gets to choose peace without atoning for their sins after leading a violent life. Always violent and often seedier than expected from a glossy production, the film delivers on brutal action. The combat scenes are too good to be so few in number. Without the brutality holding it together, the plot would have no shape or staying power. Is this overused storyline running on fumes, or does it still have something to offer? This movie suggests a bit of both. It’s good enough to spend 100 minutes with, but any interest in a sequel would depend on the director finding a way into this story rather than just moving around familiar pieces. In the end, it’s a fine way to pass the time if you’re in the mood for violent action, but don’t expect anything new or emotionally deep from this predictable and straightforward tale of revenge.
OUR RATING – A DEMONIC 8