Agent Game (2022)

Agent Game is the kind of lean, mean spy thriller that doesn’t waste time pretending it’s anything other than a high-pressure chase through the shadowy machinery of intelligence work. With Dermot Mulroney at the center as a man suddenly turned into the target, the film keeps tightening the screws—allegiances shift, orders feel suspect, and every conversation has the buzz of a trap being set—while Mel Gibson brings a hard-edged authority that makes the power games feel bruisingly real. Director Grant S. Johnson leans into a gritty, no-frills vibe where the shootouts hit with real urgency and the paranoia is the point, not window dressing. It won’t be for viewers looking for a polished, twisty prestige espionage epic, but if you want an R-rated, backstabbing, adrenaline-forward programmer that moves fast and plays tough, this one delivers a satisfying jolt.

Agent Game wants to be a paranoid, morally gray CIA thriller where loyalties shift and the hero has to outthink the system that’s turning on him. The problem is it often plays like a rough draft: the script is confusing, the editing can feel bizarrely choppy, and the visuals are so murky that tension gets replaced by “wait, what’s happening?” frustration. If you’re expecting sharp espionage plotting or standout action, this is pretty standard and heavy on clichés, with the R-rated violence doing more work than the storytelling. That said, if you’re simply in the mood for a low-budget, no-frills chase-and-betrayal movie and you like the cast enough to ride along, it’s watchable—just don’t go in expecting clarity or polish.