Vanquish (2021)

Vanquish is the kind of lean, pulpy thriller that knows exactly what it wants to be: a high-speed, high-stakes ride where a mother’s desperation turns every mile into a dare. The setup has a nasty hook—a retired cop pulling strings in the ugliest way imaginable—and it gives Morgan Freeman a chance to bring a cool, unsettling presence that elevates the material, while Ruby Rose commits to the physical grit the story demands. It’s not a film that pretends to be prestige, but it does have a few sharp turns, including a twist that adds a welcome jolt of “wait, what?” energy when you think you’ve got it pegged. If you’re in the mood for a straightforward, B-movie-style action thriller with a redeeming spark of ambition in its concept and performances, this one might surprise you.

Vanquish is clearly trying to be a lean, neon-lit revenge/thriller where a desperate mom tears through criminals under impossible pressure, and on paper that should be pulpy fun. The problem is it plays like a checklist of hostage-and-hit-job clichés, with flat performances and action scenes that feel staged, repetitive, and oddly low-energy when they should be the whole point. Instead of building tension, it tends to stall between beats and never finds a rhythm strong enough to make the stakes land. If you’re happy with background-grade B-movie noise and can enjoy the occasional stylish shot or motorcycle bravado, you might coast through it—but if you want sharp choreography, suspense, or characters you can invest in, this one will likely waste your time.