Alarum (2025)

Alarum (2025): Movie Review & Film Summary

Director: Michael Polish
Writer: Alexander Vesha
Cast:

• Scott Eastwood as Joe
• Willa Fitzgerald as Laura
• Sylvester Stallone as Chester
• Mike Colter as Orin
• D.W. Moffett as CIA Director Burbridge
• Mark Polish as CIA Assistant to Burbridge
• Olga Kurylenko as Katarina, a double agent with ties to Laura
• Jason Isaacs as Colonel Edgar Vaughn, an Alarum operative
• Gina Carano as Alex Ryder, a rogue mercenary working with Orin

Plot Summary

Alarum (2025) follows Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Laura (Willa Fitzgerald), two former elite government agents who fell in love during a mission, went rogue, and settled into a quiet life together. Five years later, they are on what appears to be a romantic getaway in Gdańsk, Poland. However, their “vacation” is soon upended when a mysterious plane crash occurs near their resort, setting off a chain of chaotic events.

Joe stumbles upon a flash drive hidden inside a “flight pill” on one of the crash victims. This drive contains highly sensitive information that can dismantle global intelligence agencies. Laura, unbeknownst to Joe, has ties to Alarum, a shadowy organization seeking to expose and collapse international espionage networks.

The couple finds themselves pursued by multiple factions:

• Orin (Mike Colter), a relentless mercenary, leads a team of hired guns in a bid to recover the flash drive for a powerful, unnamed client.
• CIA Director Burbridge (D.W. Moffett) dispatches agents and puts a hit on Joe, suspecting his defection was to join Alarum.
• Chester (Sylvester Stallone), Joe’s former mentor, is ordered to kill him but secretly helps Joe navigate the chaos, reminiscing about their past missions.

In a surprising twist, Laura’s allegiance to Alarum becomes a point of contention. She claims her involvement is to bring justice and end corruption, but Joe isn’t convinced. Their relationship is tested as they uncover hidden truths about each other and their shared past.

More Characters and Twists

• Katarina (Olga Kurylenko): A mysterious Alarum operative with a personal vendetta against the CIA. Katarina complicates Laura’s mission by threatening to expose her if she doesn’t complete Alarum’s goals.
• Colonel Edgar Vaughn (Jason Isaacs): A high-ranking member of Alarum. He manipulates Laura by promising to protect Joe in exchange for her continued loyalty.
• Alex Ryder (Gina Carano): A rogue mercenary working with Orin, known for her brutal efficiency. She becomes a dangerous wildcard, willing to betray anyone to secure the flash drive.

Action Highlights

The action in Alarum is relentless, featuring:

• A high-stakes forest shootout: Joe and Laura face off against Orin’s team as they escape the crash site.
• An intense car chase through the streets of Gdańsk: Joe and Chester team up to evade assassins, leading to spectacular explosions.
• A climactic battle at a historic Polish lodge: Laura single-handedly takes down a group of mercenaries in a sequence showcasing Willa Fitzgerald’s impressive stunt work.
• A brutal hand-to-hand combat scene: Joe confronts Orin in a visceral fight that ends with a shocking revelation about Orin’s true motives.

Themes and Final Thoughts

Alarum explores themes of trust, loyalty, and redemption. While the film leans heavily into genre tropes, the dynamic performances by Eastwood, Fitzgerald, and Stallone help elevate the material. However, its muddled plot and lackluster visual effects detract from its overall impact.

The addition of new characters, such as Katarina and Colonel Vaughn, adds layers of intrigue, but the film struggles to juggle its many subplots effectively. Despite these flaws, fans of direct-to-video-style action movies might find Alarum a passable popcorn flick.

Verdict:
Alarum is a fun, albeit flawed, action thriller. While its ambitious plot doesn’t fully come together, it delivers enough explosive action and engaging performances to satisfy fans of the genre.

Now streaming on VOD platforms worldwide.