In 2022, Poison Arrow introduced audiences to a sleek, high-stakes world of espionage, betrayal, and biochemical warfare. Now, in Poison Arrow: Recoil, the stakes are even higher—but this time, the threat is more personal, and the wounds run deeper.
Directed by returning filmmaker Lena Morales, the sequel trades the exotic jungles and action-packed heists of the first film for a more grounded, psychological setting. Mira Voss (once again played by the razor-sharp Katrina Bell) is no longer on the offensive. After exposing a corrupt pharmaceutical cabal in the original, she’s now the one being hunted—by both her former allies and enemies who want her silenced.
Set in the neon underbelly of Lisbon, Recoil follows Mira as she uncovers evidence that the Poison Arrow virus wasn’t neutralized as she thought—it was sold. And now, someone is preparing to use it. But the more she investigates, the more paranoid and fragmented she becomes. Is she the only one left who cares? Or is the enemy already inside her own mind?
What makes Poison Arrow: Recoil stand out is its blend of tight action choreography and psychological tension. The combat is brutal but intimate. Chases are swift but emotionally charged. Each encounter leaves scars—both literal and symbolic.
Katrina Bell delivers a layered performance, shifting seamlessly between steel-eyed assassin and haunted survivor. Her chemistry with newcomer Rami Youssef, playing a soft-spoken virologist with ties to Mira’s past, adds an unexpected emotional center to the film. Their dynamic humanizes a world where trust is toxic and truth is weaponized.
Director Morales makes bold stylistic choices—using surveillance footage, thermal imagery, and echoing sound design to put viewers inside Mira’s fractured headspace. The result is a film that feels less like a mission and more like a descent. A descent into guilt, doubt, and memories that won’t die.
While the original Poison Arrow was a slick crowd-pleaser with popcorn thrills, Recoil digs deeper. It asks harder questions: Can a weapon ever be fully disarmed? And once you've pulled the trigger, can you ever stop the consequences?
The pacing may feel slower for those expecting wall-to-wall action, but Recoil rewards patience with one of the most emotionally grounded third acts in recent spy cinema.
