Bullet Points: Aftermath (2024)
1988’s Die Hard really is the action gift that keeps on giving. Nearly 37 years after its release, action movies are still finding new venues to drop a “Die Hard Scenario” in. The most recent example of a “Die Hard Clone” dropped on Netflix earlier today, 2024’s Aftermath aka “Die Hard on a Bridge” or more specifically, “Die Hard on the Tobin Bridge”…
- The Players: Eric Daniels (Dylan Sprouse) is a former Army Ranger, who finds himself back home in Boston and spending time with his 16 year old sister, Maddie (Megan Stott), or Madeleine as she prefers to be called now. The Daniels siblings are on their way to the movie theater, when Eric pulls a classic big brother move, when he pulls the car off to the side of the road and asks Maddie if she brought her learner’s permit… that’s right, we get an impromptu driving lesson and a discussion of the different ways the word “douche” can be used to insult someone… We are also introduced to prisoner, Samantha “Doc” Brown (Diechen Lachman), who is being transported from prison so she can testify in a high profile case involving private military contractors the the next morning… Lastly, we meet Jimmy “Romeo” Roken (Mason Gooding) as he is mobilizing his team of private military contractors!!
- Take it to the Bridge: As you might suspect, all of the characters we have been introduced to end up on the Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge, a bridge that has traffic at a standstill, thanks in part to ongoing construction and because of Romeo and his team using their vehicles to create a roadblock. And then it is time for phase two… a series of explosions form a giant hole in the middle of the bridge! Motorists are getting out of their cars in a panic… but they quickly find themselves being forced at gunpoint by Romeo’s team to get back in their cars, where their phones and keys will be confiscated and their wrists zip tied to their steering wheels… it’s a full blown hostage situation!
- The Fly in the Ointment: With all his military training and experience, Romeo (or Captain Chaos for those in the know) has devised what probably seemed like the perfect plan… he’s so proud of it, he’s even broadcasting the whole thing on his team’s website and getting millions of views, with the promise of executing “Doc” if the Pentagon does not meet his demands! But Romeo’s plan did not call for a decorated Army Ranger, who is willing to do whatever he has to do to get his sister off that bridge alive. Eric doesn’t waste much time getting to work, taking out one of Romeo’s men…and he’s just getting started!
There’s a reason action movies continue to use the “Die Hard formula”… it works! Even with a former Disney Channel star as the lead. I know it’s still extremely early, but Dylan Sprouse is the least likely action star of 2025! But Dylan pulled it off, and while his participation in an action movie was completely unexpected… the same was said about Bruce Willis back in the day.
It didn’t hurt that Dylan had Mason Gooding’s Jimmy “Romeo” Roken opposing him. Gooding delivered a strong and believable performance as the villain who sees himself as a hero that is fighting government and military corruption.
Both our hero and villain, are dealing with PTSD issues… and it’s their PTSD that is the motivating factor for both men. This gives both characters an added dimension and adds a sense of urgency to the viewing experience.
Aftermath was such an easy, action-packed, tension filled watch, and one I expect will find an audience on Netflix as the online chatter grows. Aftermath also reinforced my strong dislike of driving over bridges!
Now allow me to reinforce my strong love of Bonus Bullet Points…
- Bastard Count: There was a single “bastard” uttered in Aftermath.
- Familiar Quote: “Let’s kick the tires and light the fires!” – Eric Daniels
- Directed By: Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry) directed Aftermath.
- Exploding Helicopter Count: At the start of the hostage situation, a SWAT helicopter tries to get a closer look and ends up with its tail rotor shot off with a rocket, causing the chopper to spin out of control, before eventually crashing and exploding! That’s 1 more for our friends at Exploding Helicopter!
