Today’s quick review: All the Devil’s Men. Collins (Milo Gibson), a contract killer for the CIA, puts off his return home to take one more job for his handler Leigh (Sylvia Hoeks). Teaming up with Brennan (William Fichtner) and Samuelson (Gbenga Akinnagbed), Collins heads to London in search of McKnight (Elliot Cowan), a rogue CIA operative. But to get to him, Collins will first have to get through Deighton (Joseph Millson), an old war buddy.
All the Devil’s Men is a budget action movie that pits two teams of trained killers against one another. The plot is a series of violent skirmishes between Collins’ men and McKnight’s, a straightforward affair that caters to the movie’s modest strengths. Surprisingly robust action, a dark tone, and stoic characters make All the Devil’s Men a decent budget pick. Still, its thin plot and characters keep it from reaching the next level.
What sets All the Devil’s men apart from the competition is its tactical combat. The soldiers in the film move and kill like professionals. The fights are as much about tactics and adaptability as they are about raw firepower, and the film’s attention to detail results in combat that is tense, focused, and brutally efficient. To its credit, the film also knows when to keep its characters quiet, letting their actions speak for them.
For all its strengths, All the Devil’s Men still runs into the same issues that most budget films do. The cast is capable enough to handle the action but not to give the film any sort of emotional depth. The plot exists only to stitch together the action scenes. The serious tone and level of violence will turn off action fans looking for a lighter watch, while the action itself can’t match the scope or polish of bigger-budget productions.
What all of this adds up to is a diamond in the rough for action fans that has little to offer anyone else. Those looking for sharp action without any frills may want to give All the Devil’s Men a shot. Those looking for a well-rounded watch or something with more star power should steer clear. For a slightly more ambitious movie with a similar setup, try Killer Elite. For an action movie with similar combat and more style, try John Wick.
5.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for tight action but little else.