WFG RATING: B+

Entertainment Squad presents a Second Chance Pictures production. Directed and lensed by Thomas L. Callaway. Produced by Mark Baird and Don Worley. Written by Bernie Felix Jr., Harry Victor, Don Worley, and Alex Wroten. Edited by Mark Baird and Paul Pelketian.

Stars Don Worley, Jaclyn Hales, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Max Worley, Stephanie Parker, Jane Schwartz, Miriam Spumpkin, and the voice of Nicholaus Weindel.

A hitman’s last job turns into a cat-and-mouse game in this tense and at times emotional thriller from Thomas L. Callaway.

John is a professional hitman who is ready to retire. However, he is given one final assignment. Telling his wife and daughter he will be at a business seminar far away, he heads to the hotel in preparation for his hit. As he gets ready to prepare, he constantly gets calls from an unknown number and he ignores it. Finally, he decides to answer the call and it will be one he will soon regret.

A mysterious voice on the phone informs John that like him, he too is a hitman. However, he has been hired to take John out but not before he finishes his job. The two engage in conversation with the mysterious assassin also informing him that he is watching his wife and daughter. To complicate matters, the mystery hitman brings in some “tests” to ensure John will comply and eventually meet his fate. However, determined to complete his assignment and start his life over, John will do whatever it takes to reunite with his family.

The hitman vs. hitman film can be quite an interesting story to work with as there are many ways to work around it. One recent outing was Take Cover, which pitted Scott Adkins’ soon-to-be-retired hitman against a mysterious hitman from a nearby building while fending off other assassins in his vicinity. This film mostly consists of phone conversations between a soon-to-be-retired hitman and his assailant. 

Don Worley does a great job as John, who clearly just wants to get the job done and makes himself aware of anything that is around him. We see two teenagers running down the hallway in front of his door causing trouble. When he sees the “unknown caller id” constantly popping up on his phone, he ignores it and has a video call with his wife and daughter. They have no idea he’s a hitman and thinks he is an ordinary businessman. However, once he finally answers the “unknown” number, this is where the film really gets going.

Nicholaus Weindel does quite a good job as the phone voice as we never see who this mysterious hitman is. Seeing the two engage in a battle of wits via phone call is quite intriguing as they go head to head with their brains. It is when the mysterious hitman does things like plant a bomb that will trigger should John open the door and sending in a young woman, Jaclyn Hales’ escort Julie, with a bomb strapped to her, that we get to see John’s patience and willingness to try to overcome these obstacles in hopes that the mystery man will slip up, all leading to a very shocking conclusion that was out of left field but works so well. 

A Time for Sunset is a pretty good stage-play like structure between two assassins as they play a game of chess with their minds. Those expecting lots of firepower will be sorely disappointed, but as a “smart thriller” with a jaw-dropping finale, this works well. 

The film is now available on Digital.