Release: Sniper

 

Sniper

Genre: Action/Thriller

Director: Jose Padilha

Writer: Nic Suzuki

Based on the 1993 film

Cast: Josh Brolin, Michael Pena, Demian Bichir, Adria Arjona, Ed Harris

Budget: $40,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $40,013,108

Foreign Box Office: $46,583,005

Total Profit: $13,500,236

Reaction: This one turned out to be a smartly conceived, moderate grossing film at the box office. With a $40 million budget, the studio wasn't expecting a $1 billion grosser - a solid profit is plenty at these costs.

“Sniper is a taut, brooding update of the 1993 cult favorite, transformed here into a morally complex slow-burn thriller about conscience in a world that doesn’t reward it. Josh Brolin is in peak form in a role that could’ve easily defaulted to cliché. Director José Padilha drenches the film in tension and murky geopolitics, delivering action that’s visceral but never showy, always grounded in the weight of decisions that can’t be undone. Michael Peña plays against type and Ed Harris’s late-game appearance crackles. While the plot hits familiar beats — ‘one last job,’ a betrayal, a chase — it does so with skill.” - Evelyn Shadwell, The Lexington Herald

"Sniper sticks to familiar territory but executes it with pinpoint accuracy. Between its striking cinematography and edge-of-your-seat pacing, it’s another win for writer Nic Suzuki, who’s quickly showing he can bring his A-game to any genre he touches. Sniper is further proof that Suzuki’s star is only getting brighter." - Dexter Quinn, Cinematic Observer Newsletter

"Sniper is a gritty, morally charged thriller that turns a familiar premise into something more reflective and unsettling - a far cry from the mediocre original. Josh Brolin delivers a weary, nuanced performance as a marksman questioning the meaning of his service, while Michael Peña is chillingly pragmatic as his handler. Director José Padilha brings a harsh realism to both the action and the politics, balancing brutal, grounded shootouts with tense character moments and ethical murk. The Colombian setting feels alive, and the story’s final act smartly pivots from assassination plot to personal reckoning. It’s a film that fires with precision — and leaves its impact long after the shot." - Vince DeSalvo, Empire State Tribune

Rated R for violence and language