Director Joe Carnahan has already shown us the lengths that humankind will go to in order to survive an horrific ordeal in The Grey and Smokin’ Aces.

In his latest offering Carnahan brings a movie that does exactly what it says on the tin: An action-packed, time-loop thrill ride that is filled with humour and plenty of heart.

Carnahan provides his spin on Groundhog Day for the action genre.

The premise is a simple one, but told in a unique twisting delivery of the story that pulsates as it captivates.

Frank Grillo (The Purge franchise) stars as Roy Pulver, a washed up, drinking and desperate man, who despite his cavalier ways, still yearns for the love of his life, Jemma (Naomi Watts).
Pulver is so broken that in his mind, his life is beyond fixing, but that all changes when he starts to relive the same day, which just so happens to be the day he died. And no matter how much he weaves and turns, his fate always remains the same. It doesn’t help that his death appears to be at the hands of trained assassins, so he must learn to outwit, outsmart, and outpunch them all to find out who is behind this tirade of carnage and reach that ultimate ‘boss level’ and maybe, just maybe win back the heart of Jemma.

The script is sharp and funny, whilst providing some fun and bloody ways for Pulver to die each day, but much like similar gaming platforms, it appears that he has an infinite amount of lives,  and with every life lost, his strength and wisdom to the laws of the land grow.

But is time inevitably running out for Pulver?

“TIME WAITS FOR NO MAN. BUT WAIT TILL TIME MEETS FRANK GRILLO”

Providing the powerful impact that Boss Level has on the audience is a cracking cast supporting both Grillo and Watts.

Mel Gibson quips his way through the movie as the delectably evil boss, intent on pushing his staff to the limits, bending all the rules in order to get what he wants.

Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) as the femme fatale, harbouring a secret, Ken Jeong as the comic relief with Chef Jake, and Michelle Yeoh as… you guessed it, a martial arts expert Dai Feng, who will provide the necessary skills to complete his quest.

The Prognosis:

Boss Level doesn’t shy away from its core.

Taking ownership of the fun-thrilled, action thriller with a Groundhog Day gamification structure.

Joe Carnahan takes delight in turning Frank Grillo’s Roy Pulver into a punchbag of entertainment, pulling out all the stops to twist the genre on its head and inside out in the name of a gut-wrenching, hell-bent and humorous ride through time, and humanity.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this much pleasure in watching a movie. 

• Saul Muerte