Dead Shot (2023)

Dead Shot is the kind of lean, hard-edged thriller that doesn’t waste a frame, dropping you into 1970s London with the snap and sting of a well-aimed punch. The Guard brothers bring a sharp sense of period texture and momentum, while Colin Morgan gives the grief-fueled drive real human weight and Mark Strong turns the pursuit into a tense, tactical chess match rather than a simple chase. It’s gritty and suspenseful in that old-school way—street-level danger, ticking nerves, and a script (from Ronan Bennett) that keeps tightening the vice without resorting to flashy excess. The violence can be bracing and the political backdrop isn’t light viewing, but if you want a precise, propulsive action-thriller with strong performances and a relentless sense of purpose, this one hits its mark.

Dead Shot is clearly aiming for a gritty, cat-and-mouse revenge thriller set against the tension of 1970s IRA and British military conflict, and on paper that’s a great hook. In practice, it often feels like the film wants the weight of history without doing enough to earn it, leaving the context thin and the drama oddly muted. A lot of the runtime is taken up by talky plotting and undercooked character work, so if you’re expecting sharp performances, rich political texture, or relentless action, you may find it frustratingly flat. That said, there are a few tense set-pieces and a suitably bleak atmosphere, so it may still work for viewers who just want a straightforward, downbeat pursuit story and don’t mind the rough edges.