Whilst Dermot Mulroney won’t exactly see a career shift in the same manner as Liam Neeson did as an action-heavy persona in the wake of Taken, his rough and ready stature as a vigilante wrestling coach in Ruthless certainly works in his favour, and proves the film’s only true saving grace.
Directed by Art Camacho (whose filmography is comprised largely of DTV actioners with non-existent critic scores) and penned by no less than four writers, who all collectively have little of note between them, Ruthless is a predictable revenge thriller that wildly suffers from an incoherent script and subtle-free acting, violently barrelling its way towards an absurd final act that’s practically comical in its execution.
A gruff Mulroney stars as Harry Sumner, a high-school wrestling coach, who is still reeling from the death of his young daughter, the result of a murderous attack. It’s that fatherly instinct and guilt over not being able to protect her that ultimately drives his actions towards helping one of his students survive her abusive household; Melissa Diaz unable to mask her amateur delivery as said student, Catia.
Angry that she’s not able to advance in Harry’s sporting class and suffering at the hands of her mother’s violent boyfriend, Catia doesn’t have it easy, but we also don’t warm entirely to her as viewers as her short fuse doesn’t always feel justified. But Ruthless does its darndest to make us care for her plight, and if being battered around at home wasn’t enough, she ends up the victim of a sex trafficking ring, with Harry taking it upon himself to find and rescue her.
In classic action-movie logic, Harry goes around breaking bones and piecing together clues without ever having to answer for his violent actions. Sure, the police are aware of his movements and threaten him with jail time, but there’s no real urgency, so everyone just goes along with the fact that the authorities aren’t good enough at their job that a grieving, angry high-school coach will have to do in picking up the slack; Niko Foster as the detective leading the case playing it like he’s in a parody of an action movie only adds to the nonsense.
Speaking of nonsense, the film is only as watchable as it is because it’s all so ridiculous. Likely to be an unintentional ingredient, the exaggerated actions and ludicrous dialogue keep Ruthless bizarrely watchable, even though everything that’s unfolding is largely telegraphed.
Whilst Mulroney continues to prove a welcome presence in whichever genre he dedicates himself to, Ruthless doesn’t do him any favours – even though he’s committed more than the material deserves. He’s evidently comfortable in the violent action space, and like the aforementioned Neeson, such a persona would be agreeable in something that’s better written and executed with any flair; two things that Ruthless is not.
ONE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Ruthless is now available on Digital and On Demand in the United States. An Australian release is yet to be determined.
