Nerdly » ‘Absolute Dominion’ Review

01st Jul2025

‘Absolute Dominion’ Review

by Kevin Haldon

Stars: Désiré Mia, Andy Allo, Mario D’Leon, Alex Winter, Patton Oswalt, Junes Zahdi, Julie Ann Emery, Olunike Adeliyi, Alok Vaid-Menon, John Siciliano | Written and Directed by Lexi Alexander

Absolute Dominion, directed by Lexi Alexander, is a sci-fi action film that ambitiously blends martial arts, dystopian world-building, and socio-political commentary on religion and power. Now there is a sentence I didn’t see myself writing when I woke up this morning.

In a future ravaged by religious wars, Absolute Dominion gives us a fairly controversial yet completely on the pulse premise. Imagine a religious Mortal Kombat tournament where representatives of various faiths (even an atheist organisation) fight to determine the world’s sole religion, thereby restoring peace because ‘One Religion = No War’. Try to understand that we are attempting to blend some truly high-concept ideas with visceral, punchy-kicky action. Well now you have my attention, no spoilers right now but despite all this intriguing setup and Alexander’s proven action credentials, Absolute Dominion does struggle to deliver a satisfying narrative, or fully realize its themes, resulting in a flawed yet thoroughly kick ass engaging B-movie experience. However, I do have a theory, more on this later.

The film opens in 2044, amidst a global holy war that has decimated landmarks and societies. An internet influencer (because why not?), Fix Huntley (Patton Oswalt) jokingly proposes a martial arts tournament to settle all religious conflicts, an idea that governments actually adopt, because movies. By 2063, the titular “Absolute Dominion” tournament is a global institution, with fighters representing various religions vying for supremacy. Our story centres on Sagan Bruno (Désiré Mia), a genetically engineered martial artist representing the Institute of Humanism and Science (IHS), the only atheist organisation in the competition. Sagan, trained by his parents, Dr. Jehuda Bruno (Alex Winter) and Professor Sitara Bruno (Olunike Adeliyi) – and protected by security officer Naya Olinga (Andy Allo) – enters the wild card tournament to secure a spot among the top 50 fighters. As Sagan’s presence threatens the tournament’s establishment, he faces assassination attempts and rigged fights thanks to Commander Diane Zimmer (Julie Ann Emery).

The premise is undeniably bold and in my opinion really friggin cool, with comparisons to The Hunger Games, Mortal Kombat, and 80s tournament films like Bloodsport and even a little feeling of MTVs claymation show Celebrity Death Match. It aims to critique religion’s role in world conflicts while exploring themes of tolerance in our fellow man. However, the narrative sadly falters in execution, leaning heavily on exposition and failing to flesh out its vast world or characters. Also, I can suspend disbelief pretty far, but the lack of resistance to the tournament’s absurd premise is laughable. I mean, come on, would devout believers accept a fist fight determining their faith?.

Lexi Alexander, a former World Kickboxing Champion, Stunt Woman and director of some of my cult favourites like Green Street (Green Street Hooligans outside the UK) and Punisher: War Zone, brings action expertise to Absolute Dominion. Her background provides the film’s stylish fight choreography, which is technically proficient, utilising wide shots to capture the fluidity of martial arts styles like judo, capoeira, and mixed martial arts. However, the fights lack the raw intensity of her earlier work; it feels restrained at times and oddly low-stakes, as they are not too brutal and often end quickly with minimal tension. The tournament’s setting, a sparse gymnasium with foam mats and minimal spectators, betrays the tournament’s epic worldly stakes, exposing the film’s low budget somewhat.

Now, here is my theory: I believe there was a franchise here, at the very least a sequel, which may even manifest. Alexander has some crazy ideas laid out in this movie that hint towards a much bigger scope, and I was absolutely invested. Somewhere along the line, maybe budget constraints or interference from studios or whoever, this became a standalone, and the director just had to make it work on a much smaller scale. Sadly, this does show as the stakes just seem to be diminished and in some places lost. That’s not to say there is nothing good here because there absolutely is, but given time to breathe and be what it wants to be, I think we have a much more solid movie.

Visually, Absolute Dominion does struggle at times with cheap-looking visual effects and green-screen work, particularly in futuristic exteriors and crowd scenes, which lack energy and depth. The film’s colour palette, with green and blue tones in the tournament venue, does strike a nice balance for a futuristic minimalist look. Slow-motion sequences do work well, but a lacklustre score does slow the action’s momentum. Despite this, Alexander’s commitment to diverse casting and her personal perspective does infuse the film with a unique voice, particularly in its critique of religious violence.

The cast delivers mixed results, due to some clunky dialogue and underdeveloped characters. Désiré Mia, as Sagan Bruno, brings physical prowess to the role, his athletic build and martial arts skills shining in fight scenes. However, his acting inexperience is evident in the more dramatic moments, rendering Sagan a “serene, messiah like ” figure who feels cold and distant. This emotional detachment, while intentional, leaves me without a “hero” to root for. I was kind of on Sagan’s side but found myself wondering why?.

Supporting performances fare better. Andy Allo’s Naya Olinga is a standout, exuding charm and competence as Sagan’s protector. Alex Winter, as Sagan’s father, delivers a nuanced performance despite a perpetually pained expression, while Olunike Adeliyi adds gravitas as his mother. Patton Oswalt’s Fix Huntley provides a tongue-in-cheek energy, though his role does feel a tad like stunt casting. Alok Vaid-Menon’s Ceylon, the flamboyant tournament emcee, brings to mind The Hunger Games’ Caesar Flickerman, but let’s be honest, there is only one Stanley Tucci. Julie Ann Emery’s Commander Zimmer is a serviceable villain, though her exaggerated delivery and limited screen time prevent her from being all that memorable.

Speaking of Ceylon, though the film does a good job touching on the profitability of violence, with the tournament’s media coverage and Ceylon’s ratings-driven commentary evoking modern reality TV and influencer culture without making it seem too farcical.

Absolute Dominion is a film of unrealised potential. Its bold premise and Alexander’s action pedigree promise a thrilling, thought-provoking experience, but budget constraints lead to a shallower narrative than I believe was intended, along with lacklustre fights preventing it from delivering. While it offers moments of B-movie charm, solid choreography, and a diverse cast, it ultimately feels like a pilot for a more ambitious project rather than a standalone triumph. For martial arts enthusiasts and fans of Alexander’s provocative style, it’s a bit of a flawed but very watchable outing. I would recommend to fans of low-budget sci-fi, martial arts films, or Lexi Alexander’s oeuvre, but casual viewers may want to adjust any expectations.