‘Wildcat’ VOD Review

Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Lewis Tan, Rasmus Hardicker, Bailey Patrick, Alice Krige, Edmund Kingsley, Charles Dance, Tom Bennett, Mathilde Warnier, Isabelle Moxley | Written by Dominic Burns | Directed by James Nunn

One of my favourite directors working today, James Nunn – who previously brought us not one, but THREE(!) Scott Adkins movies: Eliminators, One Shot and One More Shot; along with the final two direct-to-DVD sequels to The Marine – is back behind the camera for Wildcat, a London-based action-thriller that sees an ex-black ops team reunite to pull off a desperate heist and save the life of an eight-year-old girl.

That ex-black ops team is led by Ada, played by Kate Beckinsale, who was already something of an action star after appearing in the Underworld franchise, but has more recently headed up a number of underrated direct-to-market action movies, including Jolt and Canary Black, both for Amazon, and 2025’s Stolen Girl.

Here she appears alongside the (IMHO) criminally under-appreciated Lewis Tan as Roman, one of her team members and ex-lover. They’re teamed with Ada’s baby brother Edward (Rasmus Hardicker) and their friend Curtis (Bailey Patrick) – the four of them reunite to steal diamonds from mob boss Christina Vine (Alice Krige) after Ada’s daughter is kidnapped by gangsters Edward is in debt to. Only problem? Vine is also at war with gangster Frasier Mahoney (Charles Dance) and his minions – and Ad’s actions spark a gang war that looks like it will tear London apart.

That’s the set-up. But where Wildcat succeeds is in the execution. James Nunn knows EXACTLY how to craft low-budget action movies: getting the best out of his cast, the budget and staging action like – honestly – no other British director working today. And he puts all his experience on display here, as do a lot of his cast. In particular,r Lewis Tan – who kicks ass, takes names and proves that he should not only be a bigger star than he is, but he should also be headlining huge action franchises.

In terms of the rest of the cast, the two “big” names – Alice Krige and Charles Dance – are pretty much playing your stereotypical East-End mob boss. A trope we’ve seen a million times before and one that feels a little stale. But even then, seeing Krige shoot her lackeys in the heart without a care in the world and a scowl on her face still felt pretty chilling. Even if their character is ultimately two-dimensional.

Surprisingly, Wildcat is deeper than a lot of similar direct-to-market titles, with a sub-plot involving Ada’s brother suffering from PTSD following years of abuse by their father. It adds just enough substance to the plot to make this feel more developed, more well-rounded than others of its ilk. In fact, this reminded me very much of Nunn’s earlier film Eliminators, which also had an added emotional depth to drive the story, seeing Adkins – a father protecting his family – is mirrored here with Beckinsale doing the same.

Now, I’ve seen many people say that the only downside to Wildcat is the obvious stunt-doubling done for Beckinsale, which I get. She’s in her 50s now – a tad older than when she appeared in Underworld – and having seen Nunn work on-set, I’m guessing he probably demanded more from her character, in terms of action. Which means doubling her was likely the best option. To be honest, it didn’t take me out of the film as it apparently did for others, and Beckinsale is CLEARLY the big name the film needs to sell (and probably even get produced). Plus, I don’t think anyone other than Beckinsale could deliver the line “F*cking bellends” like she does!

It’s a balancing act, and I think Nun got it right. Though maybe next time, in the next film, give the stunt double a role and a chance to show off her skills – because she kicks a LOT of arse here and deserves serious credit!

Ultimately, Wildcat is a lean, hard-hitting slice of British action cinema that knows exactly what it is and absolutely delivers on it. It’s not trying to reinvent the genre, but what it does do is execute its familiar beats with confidence, clarity, and a real sense of craft — something James Nunn has quietly become a master of. This is an easy recommendation for fans of no-nonsense, straight-to-market thrillers. If you enjoyed Eliminators, One Shot, or any of Nunn’s previous work, this one’s a no-brainer.

**** 4/5

Wildcat is available on digital platforms now.