Skip to main content

Redeemer

Image
By

2015
Directed By: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza
Starring:  Noah Segan, Marko Zaror and Loreto Aravena

Redeemer marks the fourth collaboration between director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and star Marko Zaror. The plot for the film is fairly straight forward, Pardo (Marko Zaror) a former hitman for a drug cartel leaves behind his sinful ways to make right with god and become a vigilante for the disenfranchised. 

In my humble opinion the mark of a great action film is geography. You should always know where the characters stand at all times. Modern fight scenes have been killed by "shaky cam" and frenetic editing.  Zaror who also acted as the films choreographer allows the viewer to see how each punch leads to the next and we always have a clear sense of how the sequences are progressing. The action isn't dependent on wire work or tons of CGI either. This film is in many ways a throw back to the martial arts films of the late 70s and mid 80s but still very modern feeling.

Claudio Rocco has put together a score that would do John Carpenter proud, in a melodic sense its very reminiscent of  Big Trouble In Little China. Filmmakers in their 30s and 40s were raised on Carpenters work but it's been mostly horror movies (It Follows, You're Next) tipping the cap, its nice to see an action director paying homage.

Unlike most action films of Redeemer's size it has a decidedly cinematic look. The color palate gives the film a muted or emotionally restrained tone that underscores our protagonists struggle to clear his debt with both society and his god.

One of the more remarkable elements of the film isn't the amount of action (there is plenty) but rather its quality. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie with this much kickassery that was compelling through out. Most films like this run out of steam and become repetitive by the second act but Zaror keeps the action coming and is constantly innovative.

This would make a great double feature with The Guest and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a soft spot for martial arts but thought The Expendables was a pile of garbage. Redeemer arrives in theaters and on VOD June 12th. Skip Jurassic World this weekend and watch something fun.





























Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of No Country for Old Men

By
No Country for Old Men is a tense, spare, and philosophical thriller that upends traditional narrative expectations. While it contains the elements of a crime drama—drug deals, hitmen, shootouts—it refuses to follow a conventional path. By the time the film ends, the central conflict seems unresolved, the villain walks away, and the protagonist we’ve been following disappears offscreen. To understand the film’s ending, one must look beyond plot and consider its themes: fate, violence, moral decay, and the erosion of order in the modern world. The Narrative Setup The story begins with Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam veteran who discovers a drug deal gone wrong in the Texas desert and makes off with $2 million in cash. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a remorseless hitman, is sent to retrieve the money. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a weary and introspective lawman, tries to make sense of the violence unfolding around him. At first glance, the film appears to set up a c...
Post a Comment
Read More

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

By
David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic films ever made. It operates like a riddle that refuses to be solved, luring the viewer into a world where time, memory, and identity dissolve into one another. What begins as a mysterious, almost whimsical Hollywood fairy tale gradually transforms into a psychological nightmare. By the end, it’s clear that what we’ve been watching is not a mystery to be unraveled but an emotional landscape, the mind of a woman caught between fantasy and despair. The film tells the story of two women, Betty Elms and Rita, whose lives intertwine after Rita survives a car crash and loses her memory. Betty, a bright and optimistic aspiring actress freshly arrived in Los Angeles, takes her in. Together, they embark on an investigation into Rita’s identity, which unfolds like a noir detective story bathed in dreamlike light. Everything about this world feels heightened: Betty’s charm, the coincidence of events, and the ease with w...
1 comment
Read More

Dracula (2026) Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Plot Details

By
Dracula (2026) Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Plot Details Vertical has officially announced that DRACULA (2026), the latest reimagining of the iconic vampire myth, will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on February 6, 2026. Written, directed, and produced by visionary filmmaker Luc Besson, the film promises a dark, operatic take on one of cinema’s most enduring legends. Dracula (2026) Cast and Creative Team Besson’s Dracula (2026) stars Caleb Landry Jones in the title role, joined by an impressive ensemble that includes Christoph Waltz, Zoë Bleu, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Matilda De Angelis, Ewens Abid, and Raphael Luce. The film is executive produced by Mark Canton, Dorothy Canton, Ryan Winterstern, and Philippe Corrot, further cementing the project as a major cinematic event. Dracula (2026) Plot Synopsis Set against the brutal backdrop of the 15th century, Dracula (2026) begins with profound personal tragedy. After witnessing the savage murder of his beloved wife (Zoë B...
Post a Comment
Read More