One Shot is a 2021 action thriller about Navy SEALs who are attacked by insurgents while transporting a prisoner from a CIA island prison.
Directed by James Nunn (Tower Block; Green Street 3: Never Back Down; Eliminators) from a screenplay written by Jamie Russell, based on a story by James Nunn. Produced by Marc Goldberg and Ben Jacques.
The British Fiction Films-Screen Media Films-Signature Films co-production stars Scott Adkins (Castle Falls; Legacy of Lies; The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud; Seized; Abduction; Legendary), Ashley Greene, Ryan Phillippe, Emmanuel Imani, Dino Kelly, Jack Parr, Waleed Elgadi and Terence Maynard.
Plot:
In an effort to prevent a terrorist attack on Washington D.C., an elite squad of Navy SEALs led by Lt. Jake Harris (Scott Adkins) and a junior CIA analyst Zoe Anderson (Ashley Greene) must retrieve a detainee from a CIA black site island prison.
Tensions flare as Site Manager Jack Yorke (Ryan Phillippe) refuses to release the suspected terrorist based solely on Anderson’s intel, but when the base comes under attack by waves of insurgents they must band together to complete the mission…
Reviews:
“Anyone pulling off a movie in one take is impressive but managing to build excitement and interest and inject a sense of style and purpose makes it more than just a novelty. The format enhances and adds to the story that otherwise would actually be pretty formulaic. I should not be surprised Scott Adkins would take a chance on something like this; he seems to enjoy taking on challenges that expand his abilities and One Shot certainly does that.” Bulletproof Action
“One crucial story element is withheld, for no reason, until nearly the end, when it could have prevented all the trouble if it had been mentioned earlier. The movie seems to care little about things like this — or about its human characters, who die dispassionately, without any feeling. It’s too bad the colossal amount of work put into setting all of this up led to such a monotonous movie.” Common Sense Media
“This all comes back to the question- is style enough? The premise has been tried and tested before in countless other action films, and One Shot takes it to thrilling new heights, a true feat for the genre. This is a film made with passion and style, and even though it somehow tends to overpower the remaining lines of storytelling, this one definitely deserves a shot.” High on Films
“The Rope-style one-take thing can be a distracting gimmick, but it works better than you would expect here. The way Nunn constantly pans across the field of battle, viewers are keenly aware of how each of the combatants is moving independently […] Despite the one-take pressure, there is still some cool looking fight choreography. Of course, it helps to have someone with Scott Adkins’ chops as the lead.” J.B. Spins
“Visuals and close combat ratchet up the film’s intensity while the script leaves a lot to be desired. There are multiple cheesy moments, but the action sequences try and make up for them. When the dust settles, One Shot is a middle of the pack action film. The filming style adds some uniqueness, but the script and eye-rolling moments take away.” Punch Drunk Critics
“The characters are, as expected, merely archetypes with no real depth […] The one exception, surprisingly, is Mansur who gets to deliver a stinging speech about being drawn into radicalism after his family became collateral damage in a drone strike. While it may have actually been better off without its gimmick, One Shot is still a satisfyingly fast-paced action film that should keep fans happy.” Voices from the Balcony
Release date:
In the US, One Shot will be released by Screen Media Film theatrically and On-Demand on November 5, 2021.
Cast and characters:
Scott Adkins … Jake Harris
Ashley Greene … Zoe Anderson
Ryan Phillippe … Jack Yorke
Emmanuel Imani … Brandon Whitaker
Dino Kelly … Danny Dietler
Jack Parr … Lewis Ash
Waleed Elgadi … Amin Mansur
Terence Maynard … Tom Shields
Jess Liaudin … Hakim Charef
Lee Charles … Dhelkor
Andrei Maniata … Adamat
Dan Styles … Base Sergeant
Justin Sysum … Interrogation Marine
Dita Tantang … Lynx Pilot
Dimitris Kafataris … Charef’s man
Ronin Traynor … Lynx Pilot
Technical details:
96 minutes
Trailer:
Critics’ conscenus:
Suggested double-bill:
Army of One (2020)
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