At what age do hitmen, assassins, covert operatives, military snipers, mercenaries, sleeper agents, and spies retire? When do they officially, gracefully bow out of the game? What paperwork is required to formally resign from that kind of position? Is there a special interest group like AARP that serves those retirees? Is there a gated active adult retirement community where they can play golf and enjoy live nightly entertainment in the town square?
Filmmakers and screenwriters seem to be obsessed with people who have retired from these specific professions. The motif follows the retiree as they try to leave a violent past behind them only to find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly drawn back into the fray by some lingering loose end. If you can’t think of any examples, just ask John Wick.
“Seven Snipers” is yet another iteration of this theme. Directed by Sandra Sciberras, the film was released on digital and video on demand on June 5 by Well Go USA.
The story opens as retired elite sniper Kris Hendricks (Radha Mitchell) turned helicopter parent critiques her daughter’s early morning archery practice on their remote farm in the Australian countryside. Anja (Annabel Wolfe) comes across as the typical rebellious teenager — impatient, moody, keen to disobey rules and ignore curfews. There is a general understanding that Kris hasn’t been entirely forthcoming about her military service with her daughter, with Anja believing her mother was a medic. The turbulent mother-daughter relationship is established promptly out of necessity, as lack of communication between the two exacerbates the ensuing confrontation between Kris and a former nemesis.
Immediately following archery practice, 16-year-old Anja leaves the farm with her adoring beau Michael (Lee Tiger Halley), who is so intoxicated by love the viewer quickly surmises his chances of survival are nil. Mom believes they are off to school — but, of course, Anja has a history of truancy that somehow has never been conveyed to Kris.
From here, the film moves quickly into its first skirmish as a henchman posing as a real estate agent (Ryan Kwanten) arrives at the farm, presumably to locate Kris and size up her defenses. Kris confronts the intruder, demands to know who sent him, and — after a somewhat contrived long-range shoot-out that highlights her sniper skills and her resolve — eliminates the threat. The kill shot comes a little late, unfortunately: The antagonist’s scout manages to communicate her location to his boss.
You may be thinking this would be a great time for Kris to abandon the farmhouse and seek shelter elsewhere. Perhaps she has additional safehouses scattered across the landscape. Maybe she has a saferoom. Relocation isn’t an option, because Anja is playing hooky with her boyfriend in a tent that, in retrospect, doesn’t seem to be very far from the farmhouse.
Instead of heading for the proverbial hills, Kris calls in backup in the form of seven snipers — hey, that’s the name of the movie! In fact, she asks for nine snipers, which seems like a curious number, but she is told there is currently a shortage of snipers. Now, I’m speculating here, but I think this is possibly because seven is a much cooler number than nine: For confirmation, please see Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” (1954), John Sturges’ “The Magnificent Seven” (1960), and John McTiernan’s “Predator” (1987).
Leading the reinforcement team is White Dog (Damien Ryan), who seems old enough to feasibly be a mentor — or even a father figure — for Kris, but the script doesn’t develop that concept. The script doesn’t provide much information about any of the new arrivals. “Seven Snipers” suffers from cavernous story gaps. Lack of backstory and character development make it difficult to connect with anyone. There isn’t even an explanation as to why or how Kris has the authority or clout or financial resources to assemble this so-called elite paramilitary squadron at a moment’s notice.
The film’s antagonist is a ruthless marksman and former warlord who once captured Kris and her team. Known as The Dragon (Tim Roth), he is described as unrelenting, emotionless, and inescapable. Some of White Dog’s team members liken him to death incarnate. He operates with an almost supernatural proficiency, inexplicably covering great distances in little time and vanishing and rematerializing as if he possesses miraculous abilities. Roth plays the part in a way that emphasizes the killer’s cold, calculating, deliberate demeanor. The problem is that the result feels too impassive and detached. Roth is a brilliant actor who can deliver truly terrifying villains, but here the performance disappoints.
Mitchell sells her role as the protective parent haunted by a violent past. Kris exists in the shadow of morally questionable campaigns. It is also suggested that her parenting skills haven’t always been ideal. Her mantra, condensed in a throwaway line uttered at an awkward moment in the story, is “first you survive — then you’ve got to live with yourself.”
Unless you are a fan of the slow-moving, agonizing tension of sniper films, “Seven Snipers” is repetitive and tedious. In an attempt to keep the film simple and straightforward, Sciberras has omitted too much: The viewer needs more details about the prior encounter between Kris and The Dragon. Supporting characters need more clarity and definition so that when the antagonist puts a bullet into one of them the viewer feels the loss. The story has potential, but the final script is just too shallow to fully engage the viewer or spark an emotional response.
Lee Clark Zumpe is entertainment editor at Tampa Bay Newspapers, a Tomatometer-Approved Critic, and an author of short fiction. He can be reached by email at lzumpe@TBNweekly.com.