Verdict
Summary
Nightshooters is a darkly comedic but action packed blast and a new action hero is born with Jean-Paul Ly.
Plot: A group of filmmakers find themselves on the run from a violent horde of criminals after witnessing a brutal gangland execution. Unable to flee the building they have been shooting in, the hapless film crew use their technical skill and knowledge to survive as the gangsters move in to eliminate witnesses. With the stunt man being a martial arts master, the special effects guru ditching safety to set lethal traps, and the sound department placing radio mics to track their attackers, it becomes a strategic game of survival against all odds.
Review: Jean-Paul Ly’s star continues to rise in the darkly comedic and action-packed Nightshooters. What starts off as a rather lighthearted take on putting an indie horror movie together quickly descends into a tension-filled nightmare for a film crew who witness a local gangster brutally murdering someone.
I wasn’t sure what to make of the film when I first saw the trailer but once I started to watch it I was glued until the end credits as it was gripping straight away.
Nightshooters really gets to showcase Jean-Paul Ly’s fighting skills and he is very much the star of this ensemble genre flick. I particularly liked the nod to Scott Adkins and it got me thinking that we really need to get Jean-Paul Ly in a movie with him.
I really enjoyed the opening scenes with the indie crew working on their low budget horror movie as it felt very believable dealing with little problems like phone signals interfering with the sound and actors behaving like divas.
Richard Sandling plays the villain Tarker who is particularly unhinged and a nasty piece of work… who also looks remarkably like Nick Frost. The bad guys are wonderfully stupid at times providing many of the film’s lighter moments but it doesn’t take away from the brutal violence, of which there is plenty.
Considering the film’s modest budget the fight scenes are first rate and genuinely thrilling; there are some imaginative hard R kills several of which literally had me cheering, mostly because I’m weird.
You care for the characters too and really want them to escape from the villains who will stop at nothing to make sure there are no witnesses left alive.
In terms of flaws I think the low budget could put some viewers off but you would be missing out on one of the most entertaining action movies of the year.
Overall, Nightshooters was a pleasant surprise with plenty of brutal action and dark humour; I had no idea what to expect but one thing is for sure – we will see great things from Jean-Paul Ly in the future.