Bullet Points: Lights Out (2024)
One thing that is lacking in modern action cinema is a steady stream of underground fight movies.
Back in the 90s, underground fight fanatics were spoiled… there was Lionheart, Shootfighter, Fists of Iron, Showdown and Bloodfist II, just to name a few.
2024’s Lights Out is doing its part to bring back the underground fight movie and doing so with a cast of familiar faces…
- War is Hell: The movie begins with a flashback to Michael Duffield’s military days. The horrors he experienced while serving his country overseas are evident and it is no surprise to learn that Duffy (Frank Grillo, King of Killers) is still haunted by his time in the service… The movie jumps to the present day and that is where we see the recently paroled Max Bomer (Mekhi Phifer, Shaft) sitting at a bar, enjoying a beer and his regained freedom. Outside the bar, we see a hitchhiking Duffy getting dropped off… he is looking for something cold to drink and a game of poker. Duffy gets both, but when he wins the game he finds out that he is playing with some sore losers which leads to the obligatory bar fight, one that Duffy wins quickly and convincingly… something that Max takes notice of.
- Fast Friends: Max saw Duffy check into a motel right down the road from the bar, so the next morning he knocks on Duffy’s door with a proposition… he’ll treat Duffy to breakfast if Duffy will hear out a business deal that would utilize Duffy’s superior fighting skills. When words aren’t enough, Max takes Duffy to an underground fight going down at a truck strop… next thing Duffy knows, he is fighting and once again wasting no time winning! A partnership/friendship forms and Max not only drives Duffy to Los Angeles, he even gives him a place to stay… his sister Rachel’s place. When Max and Duffy arrive at Rachel’s there’s a domestic dispute going on between Rachel and her no good boyfriend, Stan.
- Fight Night: While Duffy settles in and starts earning his keep by doing odd jobs around Rachel’s house, Max visits underground fight promoter/bookie/gym proprietor Sage Parker (Dermot Mulroney, Section 8). Max owes Sage some gambling debts and that’s when Max sets up another fight for Duffy. This sets up more fighting action for Duffy. We also learn that Max isn’t the only one who had some big debts to pay off, there’s also Stan, Stan is not only a horrible boyfriend, he also stole money from Sage’s business associates, dirty cops Detective Ellen Ridgway (Jaime King, Out of Death) and Detective Kincaid and since Stan’s last known place of residence was Rachel’s place, that puts Max’s family at great risk!
- That Escalated Quickly: Lights Out takes a sharp left turn and leaves the underground fight scene behind when the dirty cops escalate the violence and makes things very personal for Max and by association, Duffy. If the bad guys are going to escalate things, Duffy can too… he reaches out to an old friend he served with Don “The Reaper” Richter (Scott Adkins, Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday), who is more than happy to help the man who saved his life and provide Duffy and Max with the heavy artillery it is going to take on Ridgway, Sage and the rest of the baddies.
A great ensemble cast, plenty of fisticuffs, some high octane gunplay all make Lights Out an enjoyable watch and a movie that harkens back to the kind of action movies I was renting at Blockbuster back in the day. I couldn’t help but think of some old school Sonny Chiba movies as well when we got to see the internal damage that Duffy was inflicting on his opposition.
Lights Out is now available on Digital and VOD and these Bonus Bullet Points are available now too.. .
- If You Ever: …wanted to hear Frank Grillo be compared to Bob the Builder, then Lights Out is the movie for you.
- Familiar Faces: JuJu Chan (Savage Dog and Fistful of Vengeance) played Lynx, Sage’s main squeeze and one of his fighters… Another of Sage’s fighter, Carter, was played by Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (Outlaw Johnny Black and The Commando).
- Out of Context Quote: “Just showed you my ball sack. Whatcha gonna do?”
