A sociopathic ex-con’s attempts to reintegrate into society come to a screeching halt when he receives word of his younger brother Sean’s untimely death.
Breaking his parole with a trip to his brother’s remote island home for the funeral, Dylan Forrester (Scott Eastwood) follows the advice of his therapist (Mel Gibson), in an effort to reconnect with his estranged family.
As tensions rise between the household of grieving guests, a handful of suspicious strangers arrive on the scene, and the past Dylan’s been trying to escape, catches up with him in the worst possible way.
Production designer turned director David Hackl (Saw V, Daughter of the Wolf) puts his years of working in the horror industry to good use, with a combination of close shots and slow building tension that culminates in a tense, gritty little thriller with unexpected bursts of humour.
The “sociopath with no fear” gimmick is a little on the nose — anyone holding out hope for a portrayal of mental illness with any kind of nuance should look elsewhere.
Forrester’s diagnosis is a mostly unnecessary twist to the narrative, but it does allow for him to make frequent phone calls to his psychologist, asking for guidance mid-firefight.
Gibson’s eccentric, borderline-alcoholic therapist spouts entirely unhelpful platitudes as Eastwood takes out his attackers with unfeeling efficiency, and while the two are never physically in the same room, the dynamic is effective.
The “rag-tag band of survivors under siege” plot is well-worn, but has a familiar, B-grade action movie charm to it that Eastwood plays with aplomb. As Dylan Forrester, he stabs, punches, and quips his way through the armed assailants in a way that vaguely echoes John McClane. This might have something to do with the fact that writer Chris Borrelli originally intended the role to be played by none other than Bruce Willis, when the script was originally sold back in 2015 under the title Wake. Production fell through, and the idea was shelved for a few years before being revived by Hackl and Eastwood, but the Die Hard-esque, “one man against an onslaught of infiltrators” vibes remain.
