Acts of Violence

Acts of Violence is a 2018 American action-thriller film directed by Brett Donowho, starring Bruce Willis, Cole Hauser, Shawn Ashmore, Ashton Holmes, Melissa Bolona, Sophia Bush, and Mike Epps. It was written by Nicolas Aaron Mezzanatto.
The film was released in a limited theatrical engagement and on video-on-demand by Lionsgate Premiere on January 12, 2018. The film received highly negative reviews from critics.
Plot
The film focuses on the lives of the McGregor brothers. Two of the brothers, Deklan and Brandon, have served in the military and so have expertise in weaponry. The youngest of them, Roman, is engaged to his childhood flame, Mia, and the two are about to get married. While Deklan is traumatized by his past, and Brandon has a family to look after, Mia and Roman try to have a good time by partying away their last few days of bachelordom. During one of her bachelorette parties, Mia ends up angering two small-time thugs, Vince and Frank, both of whom work as sex traffickers for a local kingpin named Max Livingston. Mia insults Vince and Frank, so they abduct her from the club and take her to their boss as a special offering.
In the meantime, Detective James Avery relentlessly tries to collect evidence against Max Livingston but fails to find anything legitimate. Also, the existing corruption in the hierarchy of the police department keeps his hands tied.
Before being abducted, Mia left a voice note for Roman explaining the situation. Realizing that his brother’s military experience could come in handy, Roman calls Deklan and asks him for help. Deklan first makes a 911 call and then tries to raid a home in which he suspects Mia is being kept. Mia is nowhere to be found, and the three brothers realize they are in serious trouble for breaking several laws. That leads them to Avery, who promises to help them rescue their future sister-in-law but warns them to stay out of the case. Deklan, however, refuses to comply with the request of the detective. As a result, the three brothers equip themselves with military-grade vests and weapons and set out to save Mia.
In the final moments of the film, the three brothers raid a warehouse in which Max intends to hide his trafficked women in trucks before sending them to Las Vegas. The raid goes as planned, and the three brothers are able to rescue Mia, along with other women who were being trafficked. As soon as they arrive home, however, Max shows up with his men, who attack the brothers. During the home raid, Brandon is shot and dies on the spot, but Deklan manages to kill all of Max’s men. Max manages to flee the scene before Deklan can take him down.
Towards the end, Deklan and Roman are arrested by the police, but Max walks free. As a result, Avery reaches his limit and resigns from his job as a detective. He then heads over to Max’s secret hideout and shoots him before he can leave town.
Cast
Bruce Willis as Detective James Avery
Cole Hauser as Deklan MacGregor
Shawn Ashmore as Brandon MacGregor
Ashton Holmes as Roman MacGregor
Melissa Bolona as Mia
Sean Brosnan as Vince
Sophia Bush as Detective Brooke Baker
Mike Epps as Max Livington
Tiffany Brouwer as Jessa MacGregor
Jenna B. Kelly as Haley
Patrick St. Esprit as Hemland
Rotimi as Frank
Matthew T. Metzler as Richard
Kyle Stefanski as Davis
Boyd Kestner as Stevens
Brian Foster as young Brandon
Production
Principal photography began in Cleveland, Ohio, in March 2017. Aerial shots of Los Angeles included the Detective Samuel Avery, the Old Central Police Station, and the reach of Cleveland.
Release
As of October 28, 2020, Acts of Violence had grossed $386,790 in the United Arab Emirates and Portugal.
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 28 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."
References
External links
2018 action thriller films
2018 films
2018 independent films
American action thriller films
2010s English-language films
Films shot in Cleveland
American independent films
2010s American films