They Woke the Wrong Woman

Hollywood loves to compare new movies to big, hot movies that previously came out. It’s an easy comparison to make, and it lets audiences understand something new in a way that fits into their already preset understanding. Saying something is, “the next The Matrix,” or, “this show will be the new Game of Thrones,” is a simple way to try and curry audiences that liked those past works so some viewership can be syphoned off. Plus, why make something original when you can try and leech off something that’s already proven itself?

Certainly that’s been the case for the last decade-plus when it’s come to action films. All too often you’ll see studios putting on films meant to be “the next John WickStarted as a tale of redemption and then revenge (in that order), the John Wick series has grown to be a adynamic, reliable action series that doesn't skimp on the hard hits and gun-toting thrills, elevating Keanu Reeves as one of the greatest action stars ever.” in hopes of stealing away a bit of the curious audience. The formula is easy, too: take a character retired from their life of crime (usually doing wetwork) and slap them into a situation where they have to come out of retirement and use their “particular set of skills” to fight bad guys and right some injustice. Sure, Taken did it even before John Wick did (and, in fact, much of the advertising for John Wick made the comparison, “it’s like Taken but with Keanu Reeves”), but John Wick did it best, so that’s what everyone will use as comparison, now.

Amazon MGM’s new pirate film, The Bluff, feels like a pitch for another John Wick knock-off. A retired pirate captain has to put back on their weapons to fight an old acquaintance that threatens their family. It’s a simple enough concept that, yeah, taking the John Wick idea and putting it onto a pirate theme actually feels like a no brainer. But The Bluff has a few tricks up its sleeve, not the least of which is the fact that its lead character isn’t some grizzled older guy but a woman out to protect her family… and kill a bunch of dudes as well.

The Bluff stars Priyanka Chopra as Ercell Bodden, a wife and mother living on the island of Cayman Brac in the Caribbean. She has a cabin there that she shares with her sister-in-law, Lizzy Bodden (Safia Oakley-Green), and her son, Isaac Bodden (Vedanten Naidoo). She spends her days maintaining a coconut distillation business while her husband, T.H. Bodden (Ismael Cruz Córdova), spends his days on the ocean as a sailor. But her life comes crashing down when a couple of pirate ruffians arrive at night, at the cabin, and attack her and her family.

As it turns out, T.H. had a very specific bit of gold on his person and when the pirate captain Francisco Connor (Karl Urban) captured his ship he found the gold. That gold was part of a large haul of loot that Connor lost when his trusted partner, Mariam, betrayed him and fled with the treasure. Connor has been looking for the booty ever since, wanting not only his treasure back but also to get his revenge on Miriam. And, as it turns out, Ercell is, in fact, Miriam. But she’s not just some retired housewife; she’s a bloody killer just itching to unleash her skills once more. Connor and his men might have thought they’d be able to overwhelm her and get their treasure back, but they’re going to quickly learn that they should have left well enough alone now that Ercell is back in her element…

The action genre has been trying very hard to get a “female-led John Wick film” out that actually works. We’ve seen a few of these, from Gunpowder Milkshake to Kate and even the recent actual John Wick spin-off, Ballerina. While not all of these films were bad, they frequently lacked that very specific mix that brought them to the level of a proper John Wick. Honestly, it’s not a knock against the ladies here; even other dudes trying to get in on the action have struggled to compare. I think in recent memory only Nobody and Sisu really managed to hit the sweet spot, and each of those had a very specific twist to them that worked in the films’ favors.

The Bluff is another that can now be added to the list as its blend of a pirate setting with John Wick sensibilities, all powered by a kick-ass female lead, lets this film rise up and really sing. This is one of those films where I feel like the producers said, “this film is like John Wick, but…” and instead of simply making a clone of a better movie they used it as a challenge to see just how far they could push their story. And, damn, if it doesn’t work really well.

The film has a few tricks up its sleeve that really helps the audience get invested into the story. The opening sequence focuses on T.H., not Ercell, making you think he’s the pirate captain and she’s “just” his wife. As we get into the main story, it’s constantly feinting, drawing your attention away from Ercell. When we see a system of ropes and pulleys attached to a dangling collection of bottles, all meant to act as a warning that someone is approaching the cabin it’s to alert Lizzy, not Ercell. We think she’s just wanting to know when her sister-in-law is coming home, but we learn later it was put there by Ercell to warn her of danger. When Ercell gives a knife to her son, she says it’s a gift from his father when, as we see later, it was really the dagger she used to kill the men that enslaved her years earlier, before she became a pirate on the open seas. Everything in the film is about Ercell, but the whole first act is meant to pull your attention away from her, making you think she’s just a normal person.

Thus, when she has to unleash her skills and become the bloody warrior once more, it comes as a shock. A good shock, mind you; a proper bit of action that forces you to reanalyze the character standing in front of you. What at first seemed like a kind of home invasion film, with our “meek” protagonist having to find a way to save herself becomes a bloody bit of vengeance storytelling as we learn, “no, this woman isn’t the meek character we thought she was. She’s a terror.” And by that time we’re hooked and want to see more.

It helps that the action is great. It’s hard-hitting and visceral, crunchy in all the right ways. The film earns its R rating, and then some, with plenty of meat gore on top of all its propulsive action. The film really wants you to feel every hit, every impact, all to get you into the action and drag you along for the ride. Stylish and propulsive, The Bluff knows how to show solid action set-pieces that rarely disappoint. It sets up a whole playground for our former pirate captain and then lets her play as she kills every bad guy that comes her way.

Priyanka Chopra is fantastic in the role of Ercell, investing enough emotion into the character early on to make us care about her, and then commendably handling all the action the film demands of her. Although I’m sure she had a set stunt double aiding in the action, much of what we see is shot up close, with Chopra doing the work, and it credibly sucks you in without ever breaking your immersion. And then to pair her up against Karl Urban, a man who always invests in his roles and can make any character work with a simple twitch of his mouth (such as in Dredd) that only adds to the performances. Her against Urban feels like a battle of heavy weights, and it’s great.

Pitch the film however you like, as a pirate revenge film or a period piece John Wick. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that this is a solid action film with great leads, crunchy sequences, and a fantastic premise. It’s simple, solid action filmmaking at its best, and it makes you wish more streaming films could be this good. I’m legitimately not even sure why this film went direct-to-streaming because it’s good enough it could have rocked the Box Office. I am glad, though, that we got this film because, man, it shows there’s real life in the action genre. We need more films like this… and maybe a sequel or two as well.