Dead Shot (2023) User Reviews (27)

An Eye for an Eye...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 13 May 2023]

It doesn't help, when giving birth, your girlfriend's slaughtered, by a soldier who you now want hung, drawn, quartered, since you have your own connections, it's not too long before directions, take you overseas, traversing hostile borders. In parallel, a new recruit enlists (albeit unwillingly), into a group who aims to halt, prevent, desist, all the bloodshed and the torment, caused by terror, threat and ferment, to ensure that law and order can persist. And so unstoppable is drawn to the unmoving, and lives are cancelled out, with both sides losing, it's not all that long ago, when dogmas battled toe to toe, but those troubles left a mark and there's still bruising.

Fine performances all round, deposits you back into a time you'd rather not be reminded of if I'm honest.

Enjoyable movie, but it would help if they got the basics right

[dereksims-88557 · 6/10 · 22 May 2023]

Firstly, as a movie, this is quite entertaining and they have certainly nailed the 70s vibe with the vehicles and fashions etc.

The action is good and overall, the acting is better than average, making for an enjoyable viewing experience.

The story, whilst nothing new, is delivered well enough that you start to build some empathy for the characters involved. Violence seldom improves a situation and perpetual violence is a difficult cycle to break, particularly when you have a personal motivation.

What I don't understand, particularly given the attention to detail with vehicles etc, is why the main military character is described as "An SAS Officer" in the synopsis.

Firstly, he is wearing Sergeant stripes, so he's an NCO, not an officer. Furthermore, there is no mention at any point of the SAS, unless I somehow missed it.

Overall, a good movie and well worth a watch.

A good watch.

[LordCommandar · 6/10 · 13 May 2023]

A story within a story of a former IRA member who was trying flee with his pregnant wife but in their escape his wife is accidentally killed by a solider but he now has to rejoin the terror unit in order to carry out acts of terrorism in London to exact revenge on the soldier who kill his wife and unborn child. It was good watch because the premise of the story was terrorism, revenge and counter intelligence all wrapped in two persons. The soldier and the former IRA member. Honestly I never wanted someone to get their comeuppance so bad in a film they way I wanted a terrorist to kill the soldier who killed his pregnant wife. The ending had me feeling a little frustrated until it didn't (no spoilers) A definite recommend of a solid one time watch.

Really weird casting decision distracts heavily with no payoff

[soundsofdenihilism · 3/10 · 18 May 2023]

Imagine deciding to create a historical film about The Troubles, then cast a black man as the lead role, and not have his race be relevant to the plot. At the time the film takes place there were almost no black people living in England whatsoever and yet he is handpicked to be a secret agent meant to infiltrate/surprise IRA groups in plain clothes operations. What? His race would surely be brought up more but the characters in the film just treat him as if it's perfectly normal and there's no discrimination or lack of trust among his peers whatsoever.

The ONLY time his race is brought up is when his girlfriend verbatim states "Youre a black man living in a white man's world". Such an awful line that is is never elaborated upon or supported through things in the film.

If they were going to cast him for this and have racism or some sort of outsider/immigration theme to draw on then it would be totally fine, but as it's written it just feels extremely out of place and for a historical film detracts from the story too much to take it seriously.

Captures the 70's agro

[stephenmsaunders · 7/10 · 26 August 2023]

Really good.

This is not a low budget movie and a lot of the money has been spent on getting the griminess of seventies N. Ireland and London right.

The actors look a bit too healthy for that period but overall the production designer has done a grand job and even if you don't like the plot car lovers will have fun spotting all the vintage classics.

The plot is ok - not ludicrous - and the action is excellent.

There are only a handful of recognizable actors and it's nice to see less familiar faces get a look in.

This is like a more realistic the Devils Own and all the better for it.

Lots of quite good reasons to watch this.

Dead Shot

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 15 May 2023]

When an Irish ex paramilitary (Colin Morgan) witnesses the accidental shooting of his pregnant wife he seeks revenge by looking to kill the soldier responsible (Ami Ameen), however his commander wants more from him first. The soldier meanwhile is due to be charged with the girl's murder but is instead recruited by secretive Mark Strong to seek out IRA members seen as a threat in London.

Dark and gritty thriller full of genuine unpleasantness and indeed unpleasant characters throughout. Whilst the story gives us little that is particular novel, it is well crafted and maintains a solid level of tension with good performances by all with Strong as the tough, get it done whatever the cost leader, the standout.

Hard, dark with traces of humanity

[Daniela_f86 · 14 May 2023]

"I killed her" A sentence that sums up the meaning of the film Colin Morgan once again manages not to act but to transform himself into Michael Intense Strong Hard Harrowing Excellently brought to the stage by the whole cast Inspired by the novel The road to Balcombe Street by SP Moysey, about the real events of 1975, Dead Shot catapults us into the darkness of the period

Dead Shot takes you in this darkness for 90 minutes and you're there you stop breathing A truly worthy cast, with the two main characters falling into a trap of revenge, terror or hatred A trap created by the political rot that surrounds them The hatred, the horror, the bombs, the suffering envelop you quickly, perhaps too quickly, 30 minutes more would have been good.

But this does not make the film lose too much, thanks also to the remarkable skill of a Colin Morgan who manages, each time, to convey a soul to the character.

Seriously Poor

[TomatoesareRotten · 2/10 · 14 May 2023]

First off , it had a running time of nearly two hours , in which a week is covered. The main characters are wearing the same clobber for the duration of the piece ? Did the costume department have a day off ? That aside , continuity leaps large ( my bugbear ) ; before he steps out k on c the phone box , he takes the earpiece out and puts it in his inside pocket , exits phone box an the earpiece in stall in his ear ? He then runs down the street with a machine gun and nobody reacts ? The funniest thing ( and this all down to the location bods ) , the Irish ferry pitches up at Weymss Bay ( the Rothesay ferry building ).

It's the poor man's "In the name of the father "

The Northern Ireland conflict - 70s era

[scubaduude · 6/10 · 13 May 2023]

First they need to change the marque it is not about a girl but about two men on different sides.

In the early 1970s, O'Hara, an IRA member, is ambushed while taking his pregnant wife to the hospital and his wife is accidentally shot by a British soldier named Tempest. Tempest is promoted for his shooting skills and transferred to London to hunt down IRA members. O'Hara also heads to London, where he reunites with his girlfriend and seeks revenge against Tempest, putting his girlfriend in danger. The story follows O'Hara's pursuit of revenge.

It slow pace but worth watching all the way through. It is rated a six because some of the characters were not developed well enough though we understand much of the the why they do what they do.

A fast paced, action packed thriller.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 2 June 2023]

Michael O'Hara, a retired Irish paramilitary stands and watches as his pregnant wife is shot dead by Henry Tempest, an SAS Officer. O'Hara has one clear motive, revenge.

It's an intense game of cat and mouse, a fast moving thriller set during the troubles. An excellent, fast faced, action packed movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I know the film is set in the 70's, but the wonderful music gave it kind of an 80's flavour, lots of wonderful synth going on.

The visuals are fantastic, it's a great looking film, the sets are spot on, The Streets, cars, fashions and hairstyles are all authentic, right down to those hideous plants in baskets. If I had one criticism, I thought that some of the dialogue sounded a little bit muddled at times.

That scene where the device was triggered, that was some moment, again, amazing visuals.

Colin Morgan was excellent I thought, such a good performance from him, a great supporting cast, including the wonderful Mark Strong.

8/10.

old fashioned top notch pre-woke thriller

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 17 May 2023]

There is non-stop action where the director throws moving objects in front of the camera to catch your eye. And there is non-stop action where the creator (or in this case the Guard brothers, the creators) know how to get deep under your skin, and keep you glued to the screen. This is an excellent example of the latter. As always, the secret to good film-making is shaping the story around people, not events. Jones, who never gives a bad performance, is wasted here with a weak part. And, let's be honest, the title is only big fail. It promises another movie entirely. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The pain behind the policy

[TheQueen_Mercury · 20 May 2023]

Dead Shot, while showing the violence of the period, manages to bring out a humanity in the characters that breaks the heart The film is splendid Dark, hard, heartbreaking and the cast does a great job, first and foremost a Colin Morgan who again shows his innate gifts and comes on screen as Michael and not as an actor acting, bringing out his immense pain.

Sometimes I just don't understand with whose eyes films are viewed Inspired by the novel The road to Balcombe Street by SP Moysey, about the real events of 1975, Dead Shot catapults us into the darkness of the period

Dead shot deserves the 5 stars I have nothing more to add.

Violence begats violence

[spankywzl-41026 · 8/10 · 13 May 2023]

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

This seems to be the very brutal message in Dead Shot. This is what the critics would call gritty realism, but I just call it honest film making. It gives us a glimpse into the warring factions of governments and rebels and the men that will take it too far to see it through. Charles and Thomas Guard.keep us sometimes uncomfortably close to these people and their brothers in arms as characters on both sides watch what they started fighting for transition to new bosses and directives until the lines have been blurred so much that you wonder who, if anyone we should be rooting for. It is an excellent lesson in grief and revenge, and well worth the watch.

A fine drama adding to the dark, bleak, gritty, high-quality Irish Troubles genre

[danieljfarthing · 8/10 · 14 May 2023]

In 1975-based British / Irish drama "Dead Shot" (aka "Borderland") when his pregnant wife is killed by British soldier Ami Ameen, IRA paramilitary Colin Morgan (under handlers Felicity Jones & Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) heads to London seeking revenge... by which time Ameen is in Mark Strong's unofficial unit hunting down the very bomb-planting / murdering terrorist cell Morgan's now in. Second-time co-directors Charles & Tom Guard nail the period details & tone superbly, and their debut as co-writers is also impressive (though does lose some of its early energy prior to its effective ending). It's a a good film and a fine entry to a dark, bleak, gritty, high-quality genre.

Humanity in life changing violence

[danielarussopioppi · 8/10 · 15 May 2023]

So.

For someone, like me, who is unfamiliar with the goings-on between the IRA and England in the 1970s, first 40' are difficult to follow. I often had to stop and try to see and understand.scenes and informations.

I think that, from my POV, the script of the film was too hasty and deserved more details.

The second part of the film is GREAT.

It flows fast and doesn't let you breathe. The two protagonists - in an almost dichotomous way - brutally offer us the vision of how the life of those times changed, transformed people. Neither Michael nor Tempest, however, completely lose their humanity, choked with guns, bombs yet still so damned alive in the finale.

ColinMorgan manages - once again wonderfully- with the.incredible expressions of his face to communicate pain and sadness so much that even in the madness of revenge his Michael seems to shout his need for forgiveness to the public.

Borderlands?

[nufc_geordie · 9/10 · 14 May 2023]

This is an excellent movie and would have been 10 stars except for a couple of glaring inconsistencies.

The characters are very well written and all give excellent performances, especially Mark Strong and Felicity Jones who are always brilliant.

The 70s London visuals are spot on, even down to the streets with overfilled rubbish bins and Camberwick Green on the old TV.

All the shadowy government agency and paramilitary stuff is just dressing for a simple story of revenge, which it delivers wholeheartedly.

The credits say inspired by the book 'The Road to Balcombe Street' which I am now going to have to read.

Realistic plot; well acted

[robrhind-08264 · 8/10 · 14 May 2023]

I remember the troubles first time around and the film refreshed the hopeless Irish situation that existed 48 years ago.

This film produced no winners which was an accurate summation of the times.

Well acted with an entirely feasible plot. Very easy to believe it was 1975 with well put together sets. Nice to see a lot of cars of the era although a few unfortunately had to get damaged to make the film, it seems.

I am just trying to think of a bad film with Mark Strong in it. The only actor I readily recognised was felicity Jones but despite that a strong cast. An enjoyable and engaging watch with no dull moments; highly recommended.

Dead Shote

[paulinerumsey · 10/10 · 14 May 2023]

I thought this film was excellent. Colin Morgan an outstanding acting as Michael O'Hara. The film is very somber. But gives you a good insight how the IRA worked in the 1970's. I would love it to be more in-depth of the characters who were also involved in this film. The costume's of the 1970 era was in period, along with the car's. Just as you thought it was all over there is a twist to the film. There is no big romance in this film . But you do have intriguing characters. You will no be disappointed with this film. I have watched it three times and fine something new that I have not seeing..

A worthy entry

[petersmovieposters-36377 · 9/10 · 13 May 2023]

As a fan of British gangster films I was very pleased at just how well Dead Shot fits right in with some of the biggies of the genre and, in particular, my all time favorite, The Long Good Friday. In fact there's a case to be made that Dead Shot is the latter's direct descendant if not a deliberate homage.

In this case we're with the IRA at the height of the troubles and a mistaken killing starts a spiral of violence that overwhelms everybody involved, with everyone getting more than they wanted or bargained for. Directors Guard catch the spirit of the time with an authentic feeling and visual representation of those difficult years and even more fittingly a retro-synth soundtrack perfectly channels Long Good Friday's utterly weird and wonderful music.

It's great when you're surprised by a film and I'm pleased to say that Dead Shot surprised me. Pacing is top notch and it doesn't stick around just for the sake of it, just all in all a quality entry in the British gangster genre and a must see if you like that sort of thing. There will be blood though, so be aware of that.

Mean and bleak and visceral from the shocking start till the sobering and sad final.

[imseeg · 8/10 · 19 June 2023]

Not suited for the happy go lucky movie crowd who desire a glorious end where the "good guy" wins, because this movie is one heavy mother of a mean and bleak portrait of the visceral ruthlesness of (both) the English police and the IRA (an Irish terrorist organisation in the seventies and eighties), who were at war with each other.

The good: only clocking less than 90 minutes this is one heavy mother of a story, that drew me in, right from the very first minute and kept me on the edge till the sad and sobering final.

The story in itself needs special mentioning, because when a director opens a movie with an innocent, pregnant woman getting shot by the English police, then I am wide awake and paying attention!

This movie is about an Irish terrorist, whose pregnant wife gets shot by the English police and who swears revenge. Will the Irish terrorist be able to locate and kill the dirty English cop, who killed the love of his life, or will he die trying...?

More good: I often cringe when watching some European movies because of their low production value, but this movie looks and sounds the part, with impressive photography and a beautiful soundtrack. I so do appreciate the quality of these technical features!

In particular recommended for those folks who dont shy away by a vicious and depressing story, where sadism rules over love and where terror stifles any chance of peace...

Thank you for reading my 2001 th review for Imdb.

Thrilling and interesting

[xbsxwqdxw · 10/10 · 21 August 2023]

Living in the US, I'd forgotten about hearing of the violence in Ireland back in the 70s. This movie was a reminder. The story made it a very personal experience. It was very intense. Casting was spot on with all of the main characters. Aml and Colin were perfect a choice for the leads.

The portrayal of the time period was done well, the costumes and cars in particular. The lighting and ambiance throughout was as dark as the movie and contributed greatly to the experience.

I felt it was a film that demonstrated a human experience with things being unclear as to who and what was the right side of the conflict to be on. I liked the resolution at the end even though it is violent and quite sad.

I recommend watching with an open mind to the human dynamics involved amid all the terrorism and violence. It's a look and reminder into how anger and violence can muddy the waters of those who think they are doing the right thing.

Action packed film from start to finish.

[carollamerton · 10/10 · 23 May 2023]

Intriguing, Inspiring, Captivating, Sadness and Inquisitively Enthralling.

Just a few words that describe the film from start to finish. Based in the 1970's during the conflict of the IRA, this is a journey of two men's actions in the time of the troubles. O'Hara played by the most talented Colin Morgan and Tempest played by Aml Ameen. There is no better casting then Colin Morgan who absolutely takes you into his role as Michael O'Hara Heart stopping moments play out during the film. Don't watch this because it is based on the IRA. Watch as an action packed film with such courage and despair.

The hero realized the price of blind submission and lost everything👍👍👍

[Democrit · 8/10 · 11 October 2023]

A compelling narrative and exceptional directing make for a captivating experience. This thought-provoking story delves into the consequences of choice and highlights the futility of violence as a destructive force. Our protagonist learns the heavy toll of blind obedience, losing everything dear to him in the process.

The film excels in all aspects, delivering crucial messages while also providing well-rounded characters that engage the audience on a deeper level. The cinematography skillfully plays with light and shadow, especially in the breathtaking scenes of nighttime journeys, evoking a sense of poetry. Each shot uncovers beauty even in the abyss, ultimately accentuating the profoundness of the narrative.

Regrettably, the movie poster fails to live up to the film's remarkable qualities.

A marvelous film

[enjema · 10/10 · 23 May 2023]

This film is a masterpiece so well conceived and realized. The cast is so brilliant and the choice of the actors so appropriate COLIN MORGAN has performed Michael giving all possible. The perfect actor for the part. I rated the film with 10 stars. If there were more stars I would like it. There are two considerations I'd like to express though. In the first place this film cannot be understood and appreciated without a previous documentation on the context . I documented myself reading THE ROAD TO BALCOMBE STREET by STEVEN MOYSEY in audible version. Secondly for now this film has been released by Sky Cinema only in UK and Ireland. IT MUST BE RELEASED WORLDWIDE.

Very pleasant surprise

[ade57585 · 9/10 · 2 October 2023]

A hell of a movie. I want more of that type of indie/under the radar movies. Not a low budget by any means. Very good supporting cast (Felicity Hoffman! Mark Strong!). Very nice picture. Great acting. It s a real little gem with money spent on concrete things rather than marketing n a pseudo superstar.

I m just astonished by the very low ratings. What s wrong with u guys?

Is it the tone of the movie? His darkish aspect? Yeah, the film is unforgiving. But it deserves a chance. I deliberately gave it a 9 cause i can t believe people rated it as a 1". Even the dialogues are nicely written. Go watch it people. Give it a chance.