Directed by James Nunn, “One More Shot” is a new action thriller film on Sky Cinema. It stars Scott Adkins as Navy SEAL squad leader Jake Harris who has to perform a challenging mission despite the odds stacked against him. We see Jake escort a suspected terrorist from a black site while fighting against a group of mercenaries. Besides Scott, the cast of “One More Shot” includes Alexis Knapp, Tom Berenger, Michael Jai White, Hannah Arterton, Catherine Hannay, Jill Winternitz, Meena Rayann, Neil Linpow, Waleed Elgadi, and Samantha Schnitzler. Spoilers ahead!
One More Shot (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What is ‘One More Shot’ about?
“One More Shot,” written by James Nunn & Jamie Russell, follows Navy SEAL Jake Harris (Scott Adkins), who is ordered to escort terrorist suspect Amin Mansur to Washington D.C for interrogation. Along the way, they get caught up in a deadly attack that risks their operation. The film follows the aftermath of this attack and reveals some shocking truths along the way.
What happens in Scott Adkins’ ‘One More Shot’?
James Nunn’s “One More Shot” begins with footage of a mission on the Virginia port. It is in connection with terrorist suspect Amin Mansur (Waleed Elgadi). Homeland Security believes that Amin helped transport a bomb through a container from Europe. Lieutenant Jake Harris (Scott Adkins) gets hold of Amin whereas Mike Marshall (Tom Berenger) brings Amin’s wife – Niesha (Meena Rayann) to know the details of Amin’s suspected plan. Niesha firmly believes that the authorities are wrong about her husband. Mike still takes her to the Washington Baltimore airport.
While speaking with the White House chief of staff about this security threat, Mike walks up to meet Homeland Agent Jennifer Lomax (Alexis Knapp). He is worried that they have only two hours left to stop a bomb explosion. To make it happen, they are bringing Amin to this airport, which has been kept closed for any other work. Mike wants Niesha to make Amin feel that he could lose something important (her) and use that fear to gather any intel. Soon after, Jake Harris (Scott Adkins) escorts Amin to the airport.
What happened to Jake in Poland?
In Poland, Jake had to fight a fatal attack without any intel or air support, all by himself. While trying to secure Amin, he could not save Anderson from Mike’s team. So, Mike wants Jake to take accountability for his actions and to report to his senior officer to debrief about the tragic incident. While Agent Hooper (Hannah Arterton) walks Jake to go for that meeting, he gets on a call with his partner and talks about how he lost his entire team. Moments later, he notices two armed men walk inside, and finds it suspicious. So, he follows them and gets into a gunfight. But both the men manage to run away.
Eventually, they realize that they have been ambushed by people wanting to abduct Mike. Jake gets in a car with Hooper & the Mansurs to save Amin. But, along the way, Hooper gets shot and starts bleeding. Niesha tries to save her life but cannot help much. Suddenly, these ambushers set a car on fire. So, Jake brings Amin and Niesha back to the terminal. The attackers follow them and get killed by Jake. Seeing this tragedy unfold, Jake confronts Amin about his connection to whatever’s happening. Amin maintains his innocence in this matter.
Who were the ambushers? How was Amin connected to the ambushers?
The ambushers were a team of rogue officials who were trying to orchestrate a bomb threat to prove some point. It includes Robert Jackson (Michael Jai White) and Campbell (Teddy Linard), among others, who decided to work against their usual responsibilities. Firstly, they ensure that no kind of exchange can be done from or to the airport. They are trying to kidnap Amin from Jake’s custody and use him for their purpose. While trying to fight them, Jake again asks Amin about his connection to the bomb explosion mission. Amin finally caves in and reveals the truth. An unnamed handler made him cooperate with the logistics to get the package container delivered to that airport.
After the discussion, Jake walks the couple away while shooting the attackers. Soon, he reunites with Mike to ensure their security. Jake speaks with Jennifer about the attackers based on an intel he found about Farbridge. Jennifer reveals that Farbridge is a private military company from Virginia whose owner used to be in the Navy Seal. They supply mercenaries to the Middle Eastern regimes. During this discussion, she drops seeds of suspicion in his mind about Mike’s absence during a critical moment. Mike soon finds out that Jennifer’s recent raid was unauthorized. Amin watches the related video footage to hear Jennifer speak Arabic. The voice reminds him of the unnamed person who used to handle the logistics.
One More Shot (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Was Agent Jennifer Lomax connected to the bomb explosion plan?
Jackson & Campbell get hold of Mike & the Mansurs. Mike confronts these men about working against their own country. Meanwhile, Agent Lomax takes off her mask of innocence and joins the attackers. So, she was indeed connected to the Capitol Hill bomb explosion plan. Jake manages to flee and finds a way to infiltrate their inner circle. He fights with Campbell & puts on his mask to return to their team. Meanwhile, Lomax threatens to kill Niesha to make Amin reveal the crate number with a bomb. But that isn’t enough for Lomax, who wants to use Amin further for their mission.
Lomax makes Amin read out a message that conveys his direct connection to the bomb because of his son’s tragic death. She rerecords the conversation until he convincingly sounds menacing as a British citizen. Right afterward, she shoots him dead. While Niesha mourns Amin’s probable death, Jake heads out to fight the attackers. He hides behind a car to call Admiral Mulholland to inform him that Lomax’s team is planning to transport a deadly device in an ambulance for their rogue operation. He believes it is more than just a terrorist attack and cautions Admiral about the same. Before they arrive at the site, Jake tries to stop the transport. He fights against Jackson’s men and then enters a plane to confront Lomax.
What does the ending of ‘One More Shot’ indicate?
At the end of “One More Shot,” Jake sees the video footage featuring Amin Mansur. He realizes that Lomax & Jackson’s team used Amin as a decoy for their mission. The ending does not clear what the actual purpose is. But considering the lack of clarity, it may possibly return with a sequel to answer all the burning questions.
One More Shot (2024) Movie Review;
James Nunn’s “One More Shot” is a run-of-the-mill action thriller that shows its protagonist wronged by the system – fighting against those who are plotting against the system. It is yet another reiteration of the same plot. However, Scott Adkins’s commanding presence as the lead makes it quite compelling. Besides his presence in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” he is known for his work in franchises like “Ninja” or “Accident Man.” He belongs in the same category as Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone. In short, audiences do not expect them to emote much or have a rounded character arc. They just want to see a muscle man fight a righteous fight and win.
“One More Shot” achieves that with its pretty successful attempt at a one-shot take gimmick. Like Sam Mendes’ “1917,” this movie has been filmed to look like a single continuous take. Done surprisingly well, it manages to impact just the way it is intended to. We feel a sense of breathlessness throughout the duration. Adding to that, it features some impressive acting performers like Meena Rayann & Waleed Elgadi, who make up the emotional core of the film. Although filled with mediocre dialogue, it manages to convey the villainization of Muslim identity by Western countries to prove their own agenda.
The action sequences feel sound, considering the stunt prowess Adkins has. They make you believe in his strength to outwit the attackers. However, there is not enough substance to praise it any further. It is a solid, action-packed entertainer based on a plotline we are familiar with.
