‘Under Fire’ Review
Stars: Dylan Sprouse, Mason Gooding, Odette Annable, Bayardo De Murguia, Einar Haraldsson, Declan Michael Laird, Austin North, Emilio Rivera | Written by Cory Todd Hughes=s, Adrian Speckert | Directed by Steven C. Miller
Director Steven C. Miller has quietly built a reputation for crafting hard-hitting, slickly shot action thrillers, and his latest effort, Under Fire, may just be his most purely entertaining to date. Starring Mason Gooding (yes, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s son) and Dylan Sprouse, this adrenaline-charged mix of buddy-cop chaos, bullet-riddled mayhem, and dark humour feels like the spiritual successor to Lethal Weapon – if that franchise had been rebooted for a caffeine-fueled, post-John Wick audience.
The story wastes no time dropping viewers into a gritty Mexican border operation gone spectacularly wrong. Griff (Sprouse) and Abbott (Gooding) are two men caught up in what appears to be a standard drug exchange. But as bullets start flying and bodies hit the dirt, we learn the twist — both are undercover agents, one FBI and one DEA, unknowingly working the same case. The revelation comes seconds before all hell breaks loose when a mysterious sniper opens fire on everyone in sight. What follows is an extended, tension-soaked standoff filled with double-crosses, shifting allegiances, and a growing pile of corpses.
It’s here that Miller’s direction truly shines. The sniper sequence is a brutal, blood-spattered centrepiece that captures the chaotic energy of the best shootouts from Heat or Sicario, but with Miller’s exaggerated, stylised edge. Bullets rip through cheeks, limbs explode, and bodies are sent flying with gleeful abandon. The violence is so over-the-top it borders on comic book spectacle, but that’s part of the film’s charm. Under Fire never pretends to be grounded; it’s a hyper-violent fever dream that knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be.
Gooding and Sprouse have incredible chemistry as the mismatched agents. Gooding delivers the swagger and charm of a rising action star, landing his one-liners with the confidence of someone who knows he’s carrying the film. Sprouse, meanwhile, is the wildcard — part comic relief, part unhinged adrenaline junkie. Their banter feels organic, fast, and genuinely funny, giving the movie a pulse even between shootouts. It’s easy to imagine these two leading a modern Lethal Weapon-style series; their dynamic works that well.
Supporting performances are solid across the board. Odette Annable makes the most of her brief screen time as Vasquez, a border agent with a complicated connection to Gooding’s character. Austin North lends an eerily calm menace as the unseen sniper, his voice radiating quiet sadism. And Emilio Rivera (of Sons of Anarchy fame) adds gravitas as the cartel boss whose empire becomes the film’s war zone.
Stylistically, Miller brings his signature visual flair. The camera swings and swoops with kinetic energy, echoing Michael Bay’s Bad Boys era while maintaining a tighter, more controlled sense of geography. Every gunfight feels choreographed for maximum impact. The music pulses with aggressive electronic beats that amplify the tension, while quick edits and sharp lighting give the film a gritty, high-contrast sheen.
That said, Under Fire isn’t without its flaws. The script occasionally pushes believability beyond breaking point — a moment where a character miraculously shoots out a sniper’s scope at an impossible distance draws an audible “come on” from the audience. And the middle stretch occasionally leans too hard into macho posturing over character development. Still, Miller’s direction and the lead’s charisma carry the film through its excesses.
Ultimately, Under Fire feels like a lost late-’90s action gem resurrected for a modern audience: brash, bloody, and unapologetically fun. It’s the kind of movie that big studios often try (and fail) to make because they’re too busy appealing to everyone. This one doesn’t care about being for everyone; it’s for action junkies who want noise, explosions, and two charismatic leads cracking jokes while bullets fly.
Miller has found lightning in a bottle with Gooding and Sprouse, and it would be a genuine shame if this pairing doesn’t return for a sequel (Under Fire 2: Fire Harder, perhaps?). Imperfect, yes – but endlessly entertaining.
****½ 4.5/5
Under Fire is out on digital now.
