Our Rating: 6/10

There is something undeniably cinematic about a period action thriller set against harsh coastal terrain. The Bluff understands the power of environment. Set in the 19th century Caribbean, the feature film stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban, with Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green and Vedanten Naidoo, and follows a former female pirate who must protect her family when the mysterious sins of her past catch up to her.

Visually, it is muscular. The landscapes feel real. The combat sequences are tightly choreographed. Sword fights carry weight and grit rather than glossy theatrics.

What adds texture here is that the central figure is not a decorative action heroine. She is strategic. Physical. Ruthless when required. The film flirts with the idea of maternal ferocity as power rather than softness. It does not overly sentimentalise it, which works in its favour.

Where it struggles is emotional depth.

The central revenge arc follows a familiar blueprint. The characters are serviceable but rarely layered. You admire the craft of the fight scenes more than you feel invested in the outcome. It looks impressive. It moves efficiently. But it rarely surprises.

Stylish and competent, with a strong female lead that deserved even more narrative depth. I’ll never look at a conch the same.