A veteran sniper calls on members of her old unit for help when a warlord she once tangled with comes looking for revenge.
Seven Snipers is a movie that wastes no time in getting to the action. After briefly meeting Kris Hendricks (Radha Mitchell) - A.K.A. 'Voodoo Child' - during what can only be described as an impromptu and somewhat tense archery lesson with her daughter, Anja (Annabel Wolfe), we learn of the fear that she has been living with for many years. The how and why of it all, naturally, are saved for later, but in those opening moments we see just how capable and ferocious Kris can be when it comes to protecting her own. Moreover, it is an opening that perfectly sets the tone for what is to come.
In many ways Seven Snipers is your standard revenge tale. A protagonist hiding from their past, calls in old friends when that past catches up with them. Death is soon to follow - if he's not already lingering somewhere. There's nothing particularly original about it, and Kris' gang of sharpshooters more than conform to the usual war movie tropes. You've got your grizzled leader, the quiet one, the guy who doesn't want to be there, the nice guy, and the rookie. Sure it results in some good soldierly banter, but aside from Kris, we never really get to know any of them. Certainly not enough to really care beyond the shock of seeing them take a bullet, anyway. Even Wolfe is stuck playing your stereotypical annoying teenager - although, is there any other kind?
Despite what the title may suggest, however, the movie is more in step with a horror or psychological thriller than it is a war film. Seven Snipers could easily have been a lot like Antoine Fuqua's Shooter, with skilled snipers picking off an army of mercenaries. Instead, the snipers are under siege, attempting to hold their ground while Tim Roth's warlord, 'The Dragon', haunts like a murderous ghoul the remote farm where Kris and Anja are living. I'm not sure how accurate the sniper tactics are, but his ability to pop up just about anywhere has a deliciously chilling effect. One that despite the wide open spaces of this rather idyllic setting, makes it all feel surprisingly claustrophobic. Giving the movie an edginess, along with a sense of unease.
Vague as it is, the background behind this connection that Kris and Dragon share may seem a little ridiculous - the same can be said of their final confrontation - but it's that connection that also elevates Seven Snipers somewhat. Mitchell is not only great as this highly skilled veteran, she plays perfectly a person faced with their worst fear. While Roth delivers a performance a little further from what you might expect, albeit brilliant. In fact, after haunting the field of battle like a ghoulish spectre for most of the movie, Dragon comes across as scarily human, and almost unassuming. Seeing the two of them together, we learn just how terrifyingly real their relationship is. It's the sort of thing we unfortunately see and hear about on almost a daily basis, it's just that it usually doesn't involve sniper rifles.
For the most part this is a fairly standard revenge thriller. But the scarily real relationship between the two leads, and the terrifying manner in which the villain haunts this isolated farm, gives Seven Snipers an unnerving intensity.
6/10
Seven Snipers is now available to purchase on digital/VOD.
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