The pandemic caused widespread problems for every aspect of the entertainment industry, but for fans of adrenaline-fueled action cinema, one of the most egregious incidents saw one of last year’s best efforts fly so far under the radar that barely anybody noticed it was there to begin with. Thankfully, Boss Level didn’t take long to become a cult favorite.
Regular collaborators Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo had been developing the project since 2012, but cameras didn’t start rolling until April of 2018. Shooting wrapped in May of that year, but it wouldn’t be until March 2021 that the end product was finally released, where it quickly gained a reputation as one of the best and most inventive actioners to come along for a while.
Basically Groundhog Day meets Die Hard, Grillo’s Roy Pulver is forced to relive the last day of his life over and over again, until he begins to exploit his familiarity with the events to take the fight to his captors in explosive style, all while edging closer and closer to Mel Gibson’s Clive Ventor, the mastermind behind the temporal shenanigans.
To do so, Roy must die many times over in a string of gruesome ways, but not before he dishes out the same treatment to his would-be assailants. Excellent reviews from critics and rave reactions from fans saw Boss Level wide a brief wave of buzz online, but it has at least returned to the forefront on streaming as it continues to display signs of longevity as a demented delight.
Per FlixPatrol, the gonzo shoot, stab, punch, kick and blow ’em up has popped up on the ViaPlay rankings this week, and we can’t urge any self-respecting action junkie that hasn’t seen it to rectify that issue as soon as possible.