The Last Gunfight Review – Where Plot Goes to Die, Loudly

Last updated: 27/05/2025 --> Release on VOD TL;DR:

The Last Gunfight is a chaotic shootout in search of a script. Loud, messy, and occasionally stylish, but with the brains of a broken joystick. Bring popcorn—leave expectations.

In a cinematic landscape where originality often takes a backseat to bombast, The Last Gunfight arrives with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the skull. Directed by James Bamford, a man whose previous works suggest a deep-seated belief that plot is merely a vehicle for explosions, this film is a testament to the idea that if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullets.

The premise is as fresh as a reheated TV dinner: a clandestine tournament where the world's top assassins engage in a no-holds-barred battle royale. Enter a rogue crew with a vendetta, aiming to dismantle the operation from within. It's Mortal Kombat meets John Wick, but without the charm of the former or the choreography of the latter.

Jon Voight, portraying Nathaniel Turner, delivers his lines with the enthusiasm of a man reading a phone book. Charlotte Vega and Adam Woodward, as Ella Talbot and Steve McCabe respectively, attempt to infuse some life into the proceedings, but are hamstrung by a script that treats character development as an optional extra.

The action sequences, which should be the film's saving grace, are a chaotic mess. Bamford's background as a stunt coordinator is evident, but without a coherent narrative to support the spectacle, the fights feel more like rehearsals than climactic showdowns. One particularly egregious scene involves a duel in what appears to be an abandoned warehouse, lit with all the finesse of a discount disco.

In conclusion, The Last Gunfight is a film that promises a high-octane thrill ride but delivers a sputtering moped of mediocrity. It's a cinematic misfire that leaves audiences ducking for cover, not from bullets, but from boredom.

🧨 Criminal Mastermind Score (CMS): 48/100

It’s like The Expendables had an allergic reaction to plot, got stranded at a Fortnite LAN party, and tried to solve its problems by yelling “last man standing” into a mirror. This isn’t a movie—it’s an explosion wearing a trench coat and screaming about honor between punches.

CMS Breakdown

Villain Charisma – 6/20

• The main antagonist, if you can spot one in the migraine of mercenaries, is basically a human protein shake with a grudge. He has the personality of a broken filing cabinet and the fashion sense of a rejected G.I. Joe prototype. You won’t hate him—you’ll just forget he exists while he’s still onscreen.

Scheme Complexity – 4/20

• There is no plan. There is only shooting. If chess is the game of criminal masterminds, this film is a toddler throwing pawns at a blender. The tournament of assassins setup is just a coat rack for shootouts, and no one remembered to hang anything on it except guns and excuses.

Chaos Quotient – 15/20

• Absolute bedlam. Fights break out like they’re airborne. A man gets stabbed in a steam room for no reason. There’s a katana fight in a bowling alley. If logic were a hostage, this film shot it in the first five minutes and forgot to call for ransom.

Aesthetic & Atmosphere – 14/20

• To its credit, the film looks like it’s been dipped in motor oil and lit with crime scene flashlights. There's a kind of sleazy, neon-lit grit that screams “midnight cable re-run,” and it commits. It’s loud, ugly, and proud. The sound design? Like a drum kit falling down the stairs—constantly.

Rootability of Evil – 9/20

• You might root for the rogue squad of assassins trying to expose the system—if the movie gave them more than twelve lines and a tragic flashback montage. As is, everyone feels like they were summoned from a vape-scented locker room and told to act tough until they die offscreen.

Final Verdict

The Last Gunfight tries to be a gritty shoot-em-up but ends up as a cinematic mosh pit: sweaty, loud, and full of people pretending they know what they’re doing. There are glimmers of potential buried beneath the avalanche of gunfire, but you’d need night vision goggles and a lot of patience to find them.

Perfect for

People who think character development is just “more ammo,” and believe storytelling peaks at shouting “GO LOUD!”

Avoid if

You enjoy coherent plots, villains with indoor voices, or any scene where someone doesn’t immediately get kicked through a window.