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''Redeemer'' is a 2014 Chilean
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza and co-written with Guillermo Prieto, Sanz Andrea and Gina Aguad. The film stars Marko Zaror and
Noah Segan Noah Segan is an American actor. He is best known for his work in the films of Rian Johnson (''Looper (film), Looper'', ''Brick (film), Brick'', ''Knives Out'') as well as his appearance in ''Deadgirl''. Early life Segan is the grandson of Amer ...
. Zaror plays a former hit man who seeks redemption through killing the drug gangs he once served. It premiered in September 2014 at
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, focused on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and cult films, the largest genre festival in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse. Lisa Dreyer ...
.


Plot

Former hit man Nicky Pardo regularly plays Russian roulette with a stylized pistol. Flashbacks reveal that, during a confrontation, he accidentally killed the son of a rival hit man known as the Scorpion. In revenge, the Scorpion tortures both Pardo and his pregnant wife, forces Pardo to kill his wife to end her suffering, and leaves Pardo for dead in a desert. The Scorpion leaves behind his stylized pistol as a way to escape dehydration. Pardo pulls the trigger three times but survives. In the present, he targets the former drug gangs that he once served, giving them an ultimatum to either repent or die. As a result, he becomes known as the Redeemer. When the Scorpion discovered Pardo is still alive, he chases after him. Pardo comes upon a villager, Agustin, menaced by thugs. After killing his attackers, they hide from the gang's retaliation in the house of Agustin's friend Antonia. Agustin explains that he found a bag full of money and took it to a local church to donate. Pardo offers to trade the money back to the gang in return if they leave the town. Though they refuse to leave, they agree to bargain once the money is recovered. When they realize that Pardo is the Redeemer, they keep him under heavy guard while several men fetch the money. They fail to find the money, and Pardo kills all the men in the room before they can shoot him. The gang's boss, an American named Steve Bradock, dismisses his henchmen's fears and orders them to kill Pardo. Pardo returns to find that Agustin has given the money to Antonia to help her son get an operation. Pardo initially refuses to allow her to keep it, but he relents after she unknowingly reminds him of slaughtered family. Agustin and Antonia watch as Pardo engages in his ritualistic Russian roulette, and Antonia tells him that he must accept his dark side and forgive himself rather than looking to God for a sign that he has been forgiven. Knowing that the entire gang must be killed if they allow Antonia to keep the money, Pardo researches the gang's next drug deal, where he defeats one of Bradock's assassins. Meanwhile, the Scorpion arrives in town and kills anyone who gets in his way. Realizing that both the Redeemer and Scorpion are in town, Bradock's second-in-command urges him to flee. Instead, Bradock kills him, promotes underling Piedra, and demands that his men come up with a cool-sounding nickname for him, too. After Pardo clears out a warehouse, Piedra and Pardo engage in a duel. After Pardo wins, he learns from Piedra the location Bradock's headquarters. There, Pardo realizes the Scorpion has already killed Bradock. The Scorpion knocks him out. When Pardo awakes, he sees that Agustin and Antonia are both prisoners. The Scorpion reveals that he has been killing all the people that Pardo has helped, which he says proves the futility of Pardo's redemption. The Scorpion demands Agustin to play Russian roulette; when he refuses, the Scorpion wounds Antonia and finally kills Agustin. The Scorpion demands Antonia play under threat of Pardo's death, but Pardo points out that the Scorpion would never kill him without making him suffer. Both Antonia and the Scorpion are disarmed, and the two men face off. Pardo defeats the Scorpion, and Antonia hands him the stylized pistol. Instead of killing him, Pardo apologizes for killing his son and gives the Scorpion back his pistol, saying that it is all he can do to reunite the Scorpion with his son. A gunshot is heard as Pardo and Antonia leave.


Cast

* Marko Zaror as Nicky Pardo *
Noah Segan Noah Segan is an American actor. He is best known for his work in the films of Rian Johnson (''Looper (film), Looper'', ''Brick (film), Brick'', ''Knives Out'') as well as his appearance in ''Deadgirl''. Early life Segan is the grandson of Amer ...
as Bradock * Jose Luis Mosca as "The Scorpion" * Loreto Aravena as Antonia * Mauricio Diocares as Agustin * Smirnow Boris as Piedra


Production

On March 18, 2014, XYZ Films announced ''Redeemer'', which Marko Zaror would star in and Ernesto Diaz Espinoza direct. On March 26,
Noah Segan Noah Segan is an American actor. He is best known for his work in the films of Rian Johnson (''Looper (film), Looper'', ''Brick (film), Brick'', ''Knives Out'') as well as his appearance in ''Deadgirl''. Early life Segan is the grandson of Amer ...
joined the cast of the film. The filming began on March 24, 2014, in Pichidangui,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
, and ended in mid-May.


Release

''Redeemer'' premiered in September 2014 at
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, focused on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and cult films, the largest genre festival in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse. Lisa Dreyer ...
. It received a limited release in the US on 12 June 2015.


Reception

Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' called the action scenes "thrilling to watch" and singled out Zaror's performance as a breakout role. Ethan Alter of ''
Film Journal International ''Film Journal International'' was a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It was a sister publication of '' Adweek'', '' Billboard'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and other periodical ...
'' wrote that ''Redeemer'' updates vigilante films to adapt to popular
superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...
tropes but lacks a timely statement to interest viewers. Martin Tsai of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called it lame and derivative action film with contrived scenes that force the characters to resort to martial arts. Simon Abrams of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' wrote, "Redeemer may not be as good as its star, but it does give Zaror enough room to shine."


References


External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes, redeemer_2014 2014 films 2014 martial arts films 2014 action films 2010s vigilante films Chilean martial arts films Chilean action films 2010s Chilean films 2010s Spanish-language films Films shot in Chile