There is a specific, almost surgical pleasure in watching Scott Adkins work. He is an actor whose body is a language, and in James Nunn’s relentless new thriller, One Last Shot, he speaks it fluently. The film, which hit theaters yesterday, is a taut, 97-minute exercise in tension that pits the martial arts virtuoso against a threat that feels uncomfortably plausible.
Adkins plays Jake Harris, a Navy SEAL pulled back into the fray for a mission that is as personal as it is patriotic. A team of mercenaries, led by a disillusioned former comrade (Steven Cree), has seized control of a critical node in the US missile defense network. The stakes are immediate, the geography is claustrophobic, and the clock is a merciless metronome. It is a setup that could easily have been generic, but Nunn’s direction and Adkins’s committed performance elevate the material into something leaner and meaner than the standard action fare.
The film’s greatest asset is its refusal to waste time. Nunn, a veteran of the British action scene who has carved out a niche for himself in the DTV market, understands that the audience came for a specific reason. He delivers the goods with an efficiency that is almost admirable. The fight choreography, naturally, is the centerpiece. Adkins, who has long been one of the most underrated physical performers in the industry, is given ample opportunity to demonstrate why he is a cult hero. The close-quarters combat is brutal, swift, and grounded in a gritty realism that makes every impact land with a palpable thud.
But One Last Shot is not merely a showcase for its lead’s roundhouse kicks. The presence of Dolph Lundgren as Admiral Mulholland adds a layer of gravitas and a direct line to the action cinema of the 1980s. Lundgren, who has enjoyed a remarkable career renaissance, brings a weary authority to the role. He doesn’t need to throw a punch to command the screen; his presence alone is enough to sell the weight of the crisis. The dynamic between him and Adkins is a highlight, a passing of the torch between two generations of cinematic tough guys.
Cree, as the antagonist Elliot Carter, is a more nuanced foe than the genre typically allows. He is not a mustache-twirling villain but a man whose disillusionment has curdled into something dangerously cold. The script, penned by a team that understands the tropes of the military thriller, gives Carter a motivation that is, if not sympathetic, at least understandable. He is a mirror image of Harris, a reminder of what happens when service turns to cynicism. Their conflict is not just physical but ideological, a clash of two men who once wore the same uniform.
Hannah Ware provides a grounding presence as Elena Torres, a character who is more than just a damsel in distress. She is a capable and integral part of the team, and Ware plays her with a steely resolve that complements the testosterone-fueled energy of the rest of the cast. The supporting players, including Kane Kosugi and Ray Fearon, fill out the world with a lived-in authenticity.
At 97 minutes, the film is a model of narrative economy. There is no fat to trim, no subplot that overstays its welcome. The pacing is relentless, moving from one set piece to the next with a momentum that barely allows the audience to catch their breath. It is a film that knows exactly what it is and executes its vision with a confidence that is hard to resist.
In a cinematic landscape often dominated by bloated CGI spectacles, One Last Shot feels like a breath of fresh, if slightly gunpowder-scented, air. It is a reminder that a well-crafted action film needs little more than a compelling lead, a clear objective, and a director who knows how to stage a fight. Adkins, once again, proves he is a star who deserves a wider audience. He carries the film with a quiet intensity, a stoicism that cracks just enough to reveal the man beneath the muscle.
One Last Shot is not a film that will redefine the genre. It is not trying to. It is, instead, a perfectly executed example of it. It is a tight, gripping, and thoroughly satisfying thriller that delivers on its promise. For fans of Adkins, it is essential viewing. For everyone else, it is a welcome reminder that the action film, when done right, is one of the most purely cinematic experiences there is. It is a shot that hits its mark.
