2017, XLrator Media/Benattar-Thomas Productions/The Fyzz Factory
Director:
Jesse Gustafson
Producers:
Rick Benattar
Nigel Thomas
Writer:
Guy Stevenson
Cinematography:
Laurence Vannicelli
Editing:
Laurens van Charante
Cast:
Cam Gigandet (Jake)
Teri Reeves (Vasquez)
Michael Dale (Col. Irving)
Ben Watson (Simms)
Casey Hendershot (Hudson)
John Brodsky (Taylor)
Dion Mucciacito (Diego)
Arash Mokhtar (Kahn)
Sherri Eakin (Scarlet)
A group of military prisoners decide to become heroes once again to stop a terrorist threat in this action thriller from director Jesse Gustafson.
Jake, a former military officer, is on his way home to see his daughter. However, when a biker gang leader attempts to pick a fight with him, Jake wants no part. When the biker pulls out a knife, Jake kills him in self-defense but is beaten down by the rest of the gang. Jake soon finds himself waking up in a prison cell at a black site prison, where military officers who commit crimes are imprisoned with the government not wanting to let the public know.
When a terrorist unit led by former SAS officer turned mercenary Irving decide to raid the prison, Jake finds himself joining forces with fellow prisoners Diego and Hudson, the very unstable Taylor, and computer expert Simms. They also learn that the mystery person locked up and has been known to incapacitate the guards is a female, Vasquez. When Simms reveals that the prison is actually a cover for a long rage drone facility with a nuke attached, Simms has a hunch if they can stop the terrorists, they will be granted full pardons. Jake and the group agree to become heroes on what could be their deadliest mission yet.
From the writer of The Last Heist and the producers of Kill Ratio comes another straightforward fast-paced action thriller that makes good use of its cast and location. The film’s central character is Jake, played by Never Back Down and Twilight’s original villain actor, Cam Gigandet. While Gigandet is a versatile actor who has worked on various genres, action seems to be a strong suit for him as he plays an officer who just wants to go home to his daughter only to find himself in a potentially deadly situation that puts his life at risk. Gigandet, a black belt in Krav Maga, holds himself quite well with the fight sequences when necessary when he is not blasting the bad guys away.
Perhaps one of the most shocking things about the film is the character of Vasquez, played by Chicago Fire’s Teri Reeves. For a character who is meant to be a mysterious figure who before being revealed has a reputation for beating up guards, one would expect a hulking like figure to take the role. However, with Reeves’ Vasquez being the big reveal, it brings an interesting twist to the story and truly breaks the type in a positive manner for this genre. As a matter of fact, seeing this film, one may want to see Reeves do more action films down the road.
Casey Hendershot’s Hudson and Dion Mucciacito’s Diego bring the tough guys portion of the group with John Brodsky’s Taylor being the most unstable member of the group as he resorts to using torturous actions to the villains and does some unspeakable things yet still is being one of the good guys with Ben Watson’s Simms being more the techie of the group whose reason for being jailed brings the core reason of the threat that takes over the prison.
The villains of the film come in the form of Michael Dale’s former SAS officer turned mercenary Irving, who is revealed to have a connection with one of the heroes and the mastermind Kahn, played with slyness with a bit of an over-the-top manner by Arash Mokhtar. In a way, this may seem like a stereotype, but Kahn, decked out in a suit and having his girlfriend all over him, it is like Kahn is portrayed as a rich boy playboy type who kind of acts like a spoiled little brat who just wants the power and control but does it at times in a childish manner while leaving Irving and his men do all the dirty work.
Black Site Delta is a fast-paced “Dirty Dozen” style action thriller that breaks a few stereotypes and provides some pretty good fun and action scenes. If military action films are your cup of tea, this is one you will most likely enjoy.
WFG RATING: B
XLrator Media will be releasing this film in theaters on May 5 followed by a VOD and ITunes on May 9. Check your local theaters for showtimes and your VOD platforms to see this film.
WorldFilmGeek 