'The Bluff' Review: A Wick-lit Pirate Action-thriller That Fails to Leave a Lasting Impression
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Dan Bremner - February 25, 2026
Another one of those streaming originals that seems to materialise out of thin air: no real marketing push, no long runway, just suddenly sitting on Prime the day it drops. The pirate genre has been largely adrift since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales limped into cinemas almost a decade ago, so I was more than ready for a new swashbuckling adventure. Even with the Russo “Enemies of Cinema” brothers producing, I was curious. What we actually get, though, isn’t a grand, globe-trotting pirate epic. The Bluff is essentially a 19th-century reskin of the now-familiar single-location siege action thriller.
Rather than channelling Errol Flynn or even the chaotic spectacle of modern pirate fantasy, The Bluff plays more like John Wick by way of The Raid or Extraction, only swapping neon nightclubs and high-rise buildings for colonial forts and sun-scorched Caribbean outposts. It’s a home-invasion survival story wrapped in pirate iconography. Once you adjust expectations, it becomes clear this is less about treasure maps and high seas adventure and more about brutally dispatching wave after wave of invaders.
At the centre of it all is Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who absolutely commits. As the former pirate “Bloody Mary,” she throws herself into the physicality of the role with impressive intensity. There’s genuine grit in her performance channelled through rage, exhaustion and ferocity all sitting convincingly on her shoulders. She carries the film almost single-handedly, anchoring what could have been disposable pulp with a surprisingly commanding presence.
Karl Urban also appears to be having a great time as the ruthless invading captain. He leans into the role with a moody, slightly theatrical menace, chewing just enough scenery to make his presence felt without derailing the tone. He’s not given enormous depth, but he makes for a solid antagonist, intimidating enough to feel like a threat, charismatic enough to hold attention and he's always just fun to see onscreen.
The action itself is where the film undeniably works best. The fights are visceral, messy and occasionally inventive, blending swordplay, muskets and blunt-force brawling into some satisfyingly brutal set pieces. Limbs snap, blades slash and bodies thud into walls with bone-crunching impact. There’s a gleeful nastiness to some of the choreography that gives the film its pulpy edge. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s energetic and often entertaining, even though the night time cinematography could be a hindrance. Like I said when comparing this to John Wick, the choreography is clear and kinetic enough, and it is gleefully violent, but it does really lack a spark to help it stand-out from the endless array of post-Wick clones, even with the tropical period setting.
The setting does allow the film to benefit from its Cayman Islands locations. The rugged coastlines, colonial architecture and sun-bleached terrain give it an authenticity that elevates it above pure soundstage streaming artificiality. That said, there are moments where CGI backdrops and digital embellishments creep in and dull the immersion. Some exterior shots feel oddly polished or sludgy, and a handful of action beats suffer from choppy editing that undercuts their impact.
Unfortunately, it is the paper-thin screenplay that makes this fail to truly come alive. The revenge and protection-of-family themes are serviceable but never explored with real depth. It borrows heavily from siege thrillers and modern action templates without adding much narrative innovation. You can see every turn coming long before it arrives. For a genre that once thrived on colourful characters and sweeping adventure, the story here feels functional rather than memorable. I really hate saying this, but there's a good chance this film started with the AI prompt “Help me write a screenplay that's The Raid meets Pirates of the Caribbean, with a real lack of personality to make it memorable.
The Bluff is a competently made pirate action-thriller that lands as you would expect for a better streaming original. The barebones story and condensed runtime and light script keeps things simple, and it does come alive when it comes to brutal, well-staged action. Priyanka Chopra is a solid action lead and Karl Urban is clearly having fun in a villain role, but there is very little here to make it stand out as anything more than a fun, and instantly forgotten watch.
'The Bluff' is streaming now on Prime Video.
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