September 23, 2026
There's a very particular kind of joy that comes from watching Scott Adkins kick a man through a plate-glass window, and One Last Shot delivers that joy early and often. The new action-thriller from director James Nunn hit theaters yesterday, and if you've got ninety-seven minutes and a hankering for old-school, meat-and-potatoes action cinema, this one earns its keep.
The premise is gloriously straightforward. Adkins plays Jake Harris, a Navy SEAL who gets yanked back into the fray when a crew of mercenaries threatens to cripple the entire US missile defense network. The twist? The guy calling the shots on the other side is Elliot Carter, played by Steven Cree, a disillusioned former comrade of Harris's. So yes, it's a brothers-in-arms-turned-enemies setup, and no, it doesn't reinvent the wheel. It doesn't need to. The wheel rolls just fine when it's greased with betrayal, ballistic therapy, and a ticking clock.
Nunn, who's built a rock-solid reputation in the direct-to-video action trenches, knows exactly what he's doing here. He keeps the plot lean and the geography clear, so when the fists start flying you always know who's in danger and why. At ninety-seven minutes, the film has zero interest in overstaying its welcome. It's the movie equivalent of a well-executed jab: quick, clean, and it lands.
Adkins remains one of the most reliably watchable action leads working today. He's got the martial arts chops, obviously, but he also has that slightly weary, deadpan charisma that makes him fun to root for. Harris isn't a quippy superhero; he's a professional who'd really rather be doing anything else, and Adkins plays that reluctance with a dry wit that keeps the film from ever tipping into self-seriousness. Cree makes for a solid foil, bringing just enough wounded conviction to Carter that you almost understand why he decided to sell out his country. Almost. Dude's still trying to turn off America's missile shield, so sympathy has its limits.
Hannah Ware shows up as Elena Torres, and while the script doesn't give her as much to do as she deserves, she makes the most of her screen time. But let's be honest about why a certain segment of the audience is buying a ticket: Dolph Lundgren. The man is cinema's most beloved granite slab, and here he plays Admiral Mulholland with the kind of gruff authority that suggests he's been barked at by every commanding officer in film history. He doesn't get a ton of scenes, but every one of them is a gift.
The supporting roster is stacked with familiar faces from the action world. Kane Kosugi brings his trademark precision to the role of Lee, Neil Linpow and Ray Fearon fill out the mercenary ranks with menace, and Tom Dunne rounds things out as Greene. It's the kind of ensemble that tells you everyone on set knew exactly what movie they were making, and they were having a blast making it.
Where One Last Shot really distinguishes itself is in its action choreography. Nunn and Adkins have collaborated before, and it shows. The fight scenes are bruising, grounded, and refreshingly free of the hyper-edited, shaky-cam nonsense that plagues so many modern thrillers. You can actually see what's happening. What a concept. A mid-film brawl in a shipping container is a particular standout, all claustrophobic panic and bone-rattling impacts.
Is the dialogue occasionally clunky? Sure. Does the plot hinge on a few technological MacGuffins that don't bear much scrutiny? Absolutely. But this is the kind of film where you're not supposed to scrutinize; you're supposed to grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride. And on that front, it delivers.
The TMDb rating sits at a robust 8.1 out of 10, which suggests audiences are vibing with it just fine. That tracks. In an era where every blockbuster feels obliged to be a three-hour mythology-building exercise, there's something genuinely refreshing about a movie that knows its lane and accelerates hard. One Last Shot isn't trying to be Mission: Impossible or John Wick. It's trying to be a tight, satisfying Saturday-night action flick, and it absolutely nails that target.
If you're a genre fan, this one's a no-brainer. If you're not, well, Adkins punching mercenaries in the face might just convert you. Either way, it's worth taking the shot.
