Nerdly » ‘Dark Asset’ VOD Review

22nd Sep2023

‘Dark Asset’ VOD Review

by Kevin Haldon

Stars: Byron Mann, Robert Patrick, Helena Mattsson, Shani Rigsbee, Sabina Gadecki, Truong Ngoc Anh, Erica Muñoz, Paul Savage | Written by Micheal Winnick, Terri Farley-Teruel | Directed by Micheal Winnick

I do love a director with a steady hand! So many out there would be worried about a slow-burn thriller/espionage film not keeping people’s attention (I mean to be fair everyone seems to have a two-second attention span these days) so they might throw in some unneeded action or other random nuttiness. Micheal Winnick though realises that he has a strong cast that can deliver in every area and one hell of a sharp vibrant and sexy aesthetic.

Dark Asset‘s strongest… umm… asset is that it knows exactly what it is, and what it wants to be and co-writer/director Micheal Winnick has assembled a crew that holds the line to bring us the perfect example of a low[er] budget movie that feels like it could hang with the big boys. Never once feeling like it has compromised itself giving our leads time to marinate within the frame (that may just be one of the zestiest lines I have ever written, seriously, who writes like that?).

Anyway Dark Asset.

During the cold open of Dark Asset we meet John Doe (Byron Mann), a kind of 2023 version of a Universal Soldier which means he is handy with the fists but can also kick and flip. John is in a room full of armed guards being observed by the T-2000 (Robert Patrick) as Dr. Cain or as the opening of this movie would suggest “Dr. Exposition”. Cain informs us that John is due for an upgrade. Stuff and things happen John realises he is about to be terminated so he kicks the snot out of the guards, Dr. Cain escapes through the back door and we can get into the movie proper.

What proceeds from here is a big change in gears as Dark Asset turns into a slow-burn drama/thriller whereby John makes his way to a swanky hotel and meets Jane (Helena Mattsson). After playing hard to get for all of one minute and 32 seconds, Jane agrees to listen to the tale John has for her. John regales Jane with the story of how he ended up at the table via some pretty gnarly flashbacks leading up to this moment, the question is though, what does any of this have to do with either of these two and where the hell did Robert Patrick go?

Now I will say that I think this movie will divide audiences, especially those who go into this blind and start to think they are in for some high-octane action at breakneck speeds right through to the end credits. That’s not what you’re getting here, it’s a more nuanced character-driven dialogue-driven movie with moments of action and hellacious fight choreography that really delivers and hits hard, interjected into our story of how we made it to this point.

Byron Mann and Helena Mattsson are both great together and share this on-screen love-hate chemistry that at times is very palpable. Mann steps into a sort of suave secret agent-style role that suits him to the ground as he has that look down to a tea and delivers even the cheesiest line with an air of brash arrogance that only a man who has zero problems getting his lady into bed has. However, he is toe to toe with Mattsson who just oozes power and control even when she is failing to keep a hold of both those things.

Thankfully both our leads are able to elevate each other and the script because, well the script is a tad goofy, at times motivations are unclear and the reason the people on the screen is not always overly clear. So what I would say is, sit back and take Dark Asset in for what it is and you will be entertained by some cracking lead roles, so crazy good fight choreography and a movie that although I assume was low budget, looks gorgeous.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I can already see what issues may have with the film, but I didn’t have those issues. I like a slow burn, I like good performances and I like punchy-kicky action. Check, check and check.