Picture this: You just experienced Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reuniting in The Rip. The adrenaline is pumping, the heart is racing, and you’re ready to watch another movie. While there’s never a bad time to watch a classic like Good Will Hunting, you’re probably looking for some more action.
Instead of traversing the resume of Damon and Affleck for your next movie, head to the filmography of The Rip’s director and check out Boss Level. This sci-fi action movie might have slipped under your radar in 2021 when it premiered directly on Hulu. If you enjoyed the violence and chaos of The Rip, then you’ll love Boss Level’s take on a breakneck action pic with a sci-fi twist.
Boss Level puts an action spin on a time loop
Credit: Hulu
The origins of Boss Level date back to 2012, when director Joe Carnahan described this project to Movieline as “Groundhog Day as an action movie.” Carnahan’s description completely undersells the premise. The movie features the comedy of Groundhog Day, the heart of Palm Springs, the violence of Street Fighter, the revenge of Kill Bill, and the sarcasm of Deadpool. The best combination is Edge of Tomorrow meets Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It’s overstuffed, but Boss Level’s excessive nature plays to its benefit.
Frank Grillo plays Roy Pulver, a former special forces operative who finds himself stuck in a time loop. Every morning, Roy wakes up to a woman’s scream and a sword hitting his bedframe. An assassin attempts to kill Roy. Because he’s lived this experience over 100 times, he manages to avoid every attack. Roy continues to nonchalantly dip, dive, and dodge every sword, bomb, and bullet that comes his way. You’re pumped when he survives, and you laugh when he dies. I’d watch an entire movie with a drunk Frank interacting with the customers at the diner.
Like many time loop movies, Roy attempts to decipher what’s going on. Why are assassins trying to kill him? He eventually traces things back to his estranged wife, Jemma Wells (Naomi Watts), a scientist working for a powerful company run by the villainous Colonel Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson). It turns out that Ventor has sent the assassins to kill Roy; it’s up to him to find out why. Science plays a role in Boss Level, but it’s not overwhelming. For every one explanation of the Osiris Spindle, there are five invigorating kill sequences.
Frank Grillo gets his chance to shine
Boss Level utilizes a style of action and comedy perfect for Grillo. The veteran actor appreciates and looks up to the old-school action heroes—Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Sylvester Stallone. Grillo has the looks and charisma of a leading man, but often, he’s relegated to a supporting role—the “tough guy” in the ensemble.
In Boss Level, Grillo showcases his brains with brawn. It’s completely his movie. The now-60-year-old thrives in the action genre—just look at his body. He’s a walking advertisement for fitness and a natural in the combat scenes. There’s something about Grillo holding a gun or wielding a sword that feels natural to the audience. You understand why James Gunn wanted him as Rick Flag Sr. in the DC Universe.
You need someone who can believably punch his way out of every situation. More importantly, Boss Level doesn’t work unless that actor has a witty personality. Grillo brings both to the table. The narration adds a necessary comedic element, allowing Roy to showcase his sick sense of humor. Roy is not as self-deprecating as Wade Wilson, and he’s not as pissed off as John McClane. He’s somewhere in the middle. If you woke up and died over 200 times, you’d probably have some sarcasm in your voice, too. As Roy says, “I was happy once … but now I’m just pissed off.”
Boss Level is the perfect video game movie
Credit: Hulu
Boss Level is not based on any intellectual property, yet it’s undoubtedly a video game-coded movie. Roy is the character, and surviving is his mission. From jumping out of an exploding apartment building and avoiding a tactical helicopter to executing a high-speed chase and surviving multiple attacks from assassins, Boss Level is a video game movie on steroids. You might as well hold a controller while watching.
Boss Level could become a parody of itself in the wrong director’s hands. Thankfully, Carnahan is a seasoned director with an affinity for the action genre. Before The Rip, Carnahan was best known for Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team, and The Grey. Similar to how Gerard Butler is keeping the ‘90s action movie alive, Carnahan continues to work within the action genre, using it as a vehicle to tell other genre stories—a philosophical allegory (The Grey), a sci-fi comedy (Boss Level), and a neo-noir thriller (Copshop).
Carnahan doesn’t shy away from violence. Several deaths, including an vicious beheading, are equally hilarious and brutal. Action aside, Carnahan smartly incorporates a storyline about Roy’s son (Rio Grillo) to humanize the character. By the end of the movie, it’s very easy to root for Roy, a man who won’t stop until his wife and son are safe.
By the end, Roy reaches the final boss and figures out what must occur to break the loop. Roy might be ready to end this saga, but I’m not. Perhaps Boss Level is a video game after all. When the credits roll, I want to restart and play again.
Release Date
March 5, 2021
Director
Joe Carnahan
Writers
Chris Borey, Eddie Borey, Joe Carnahan
Boss Level is one of the many options available on Hulu. If you’re looking for something shorter than a movie, check out these Hulu shows you might have missed, including The Lowdown.
