Hard Kill (2020)

After a lukewarm reception in 2020, Hard Kill returns with a vengeance in its gritty, more focused sequel: Hard Kill 2: Terminal Code. While the first film—starring Bruce Willis as tech CEO Donovan Chalmers—struggled with generic plotting and uneven action, this imagined sequel refines its formula, leans into its cyber-thriller potential, and raises both the stakes and the intensity.

Set two years after the events of the original, Terminal Code follows Sasha Chalmers (portrayed by Kaya Scodelario), Donovan’s estranged daughter, now a rogue cyber-security expert living off the grid. After her father’s death under mysterious circumstances, she uncovers fragments of Project 731, a last-resort AI weapon designed to “end all wars”—but now reactivated by a rogue nation-state looking to hijack global systems. What follows is a race against time across digital and physical battlefields, as Sasha must team up with a black-ops team led by Mason Lane (Frank Grillo), a cynical ex-mercenary with ties to her father’s past.

Gone is the low-budget, formulaic feel of the original. Hard Kill 2 sharpens its vision with tighter writing, faster pacing, and better choreographed action. The film takes cues from Extraction and Sicario, embracing a modern tactical aesthetic. Gunfights are brutal and grounded, while the cyber warfare elements add a layer of tension that feels ripped from real-world headlines.

Director Adam Egypt Mortimer brings a darker, more atmospheric tone than the first film. The cybernetic environments—ranging from ghost cities in Eastern Europe to underground AI server bunkers—create a moody backdrop where silence is often more dangerous than bullets. The tension is further enhanced by a pulsating synth-heavy score that echoes Blade Runner 2049’s unease.

Scodelario anchors the film with grit and vulnerability. Her portrayal of Sasha is not a tech genius stereotype, but a deeply wounded, resourceful survivor dealing with legacy, betrayal, and the weight of a weapon she helped create. Grillo’s performance as the battle-hardened mercenary adds needed gravitas, and their chemistry gives the film its emotional throughline.

Though it still leans on familiar action tropes, Hard Kill 2 does what every good sequel should: it improves upon the original, deepens the mythology, and isn’t afraid to take a few risks. The final act, which pits humans against a predictive AI capable of anticipating their moves, feels like a techno-thriller chess match with bullets—tense, unpredictable, and thrilling.