“Go home or go to the hospital.”
Let me make this clear: John Ozuna (The Infinity Project, Cabal, and Blood Relative, who stars and provides the fight choreography in The Bouncer, is a total badass. He’s fast and delivers lethal blows to all sorts of bad guys and, no, he doesn’t bother with pleasantries either. He just calls them like he sees them . . . and that’s part of the fun in The Bouncer from Vision Films.
Fugitive Frank Sharp (John Ozuna) can’t look the other way. Ever. Working as a bouncer in Romania, he comes across a really heinous bad guy, Kane (Costas Mandylor), who is into all sorts of bad stuff. From human trafficking to drug dealing, Kane has the market covered. He just doesn’t know Sharp’s mad skills. From whipping asshats with his tie to playing the angel in a situation of abuse, Sharp knows a bastard when he sees one.
And Kane is one of the biggest assholes he’s ever come across. Filmed entirely in Romania, there’s a steely-eyed feel to much of its gloss, as well as a kinetic energy which keeps this game of chase completely steady.
Because, yeah, these two fellas are going to butt heads and The Bouncer, directed by Massimiliano Cerchi and written by Adrian Milnes, is all the better for it. With sharp action sequences and some keyed-in hand-to-hand choreography, The Bouncer has your ticket to ride - especially if you like European action flicks. 
Because Sharp is on a mission. He needs to clear his name and save his mother. You know, typical good guy stuff. Yet, Kane stands in his way. Working as a bouncer for a nightclub in Bucharest, he takes an interest in one of Kane’s many beat-up women and, without missing a beat, decides to save her from Kane’s heavy hands and goons and the goons which surround her.
Now, the two of them are on the run. And getting free of Kane’s reach - and all his trackers - is going to be one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
While low in budget, The Bouncer aims high and manages to be a thriller with few disappointing scenes in it. Sure, there’s an element of b-grade dialogue in it but that’s to be expected in a movie which doesn’t really attempt to do anything new with the action genre. It’s just a one-man army against a constant barrage of bad guys as he tries to work against time and get himself free of the Hell he has trailing after him.
Co-starring Nicholas Turturro, Rosmary Yaneva, Vincent Rivero, and Gerald Okamura, The Bouncer is a fun and frenetic film, highlighting Ozuna’s skills as a martial arts fighter and stunt choreographer. It is definitely worth checking out as Sharp makes his getaway across Romania’s beautiful capital city.
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Runtime:
Director: Massimiliano Cerchi
Writer: Massimiliano Cerchi; Adrian Milnes
Cast: John Ozuna; Costas Mandylor; Rosmary Yaneva
Genre: Action
Tagline: A Massimiliano Cerchi Film.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Vision Films
Official Site:
Release Date: October 15, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: In Romania, fugitive Frank Sharp takes a job as a bouncer. Saving a woman from abuse, he discovers she's trafficked. They escape together but are relentlessly hunted.
