There was a time when pirate movies were all about the action: huge ships crashing into each other in huge seas, swords clashing under burning skies. Then Hollywood quietly stopped making movies in the genre, as if it was ashamed of how over-the-top they were. The Bluff, which is now available on Prime Video, seems like an attempt to bring it back, but with bruises.
Frank E. Flowers directed the movie, which is about Ercell “Bloody Mary” Bodden, a former pirate who is hiding on a Caribbean island with her husband and son. Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Ercell. It’s simple: her past comes back to haunt her when Captain Connor, played by Karl Urban, shows up looking for revenge and stolen gold. The next part is less fantasy and more survival thriller.
The setting of the island does a lot of work. The wind pushes against wooden shutters as limestone cliffs rise up over turquoise water. In the beginning, Ercell moves around her house at night, stopping at the smallest noise, as if she is still living in the past. This domestic tension might be what makes the movie feel so strong—real, close, and personal.
| Title | The Bluff |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 25, 2026 |
| Runtime | 1h 43m |
| Genre | Action / Adventure / Thriller |
| Director | Frank E. Flowers |
| Writers | Frank E. Flowers, Joe Ballarini |
| Lead Cast | Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Karl Urban |
| Distributor | Amazon MGM Studios |
| Streaming Platform | Prime Video |
| IMDb | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt |
| Rotten Tomatoes | https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bluff_2026 |
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is all in. There is no denying that. Her action scenes feel real, like they’re hurting her. She doesn’t glide through fights; she strains, bleeds, and limps. When she limps across sharp coral rock after being shot in the leg, you can tell that the movie wants to be different from other big-budget movies. It’s a different story if it really works.
Captain Connor, played by Karl Urban, comes in like a storm coming in from the horizon. Leather coat, planned glare, and measured cruelty. There is a story about betrayal and stolen treasure, but the emotional currents never go deeper than hurt pride. It’s still not clear if the script makes him one-dimensional on purpose or if it just doesn’t have enough space.
The first act hints at something big. Set in 1846, this pirate movie is about the end of the Golden Age of Piracy and stars women. That’s good land. In the past, pirates were often privateers who worked for the government and then were thrown away. The film hints at that truth when Connor talks about how the empire betrayed him, but those ideas don’t really catch fire.
Instead, The Bluff turns into a thriller about a home invasion. Cutlasses are replaced by guns. There are tight hallways instead of open water. There is an early naval battle that reminds me of old pirate movies. There are cannon fire, chaos, and salt spray in the air. Then the ocean goes back. The sea seems strangely unimportant for a pirate movie.
Still, the cave scenes are very exciting. Traps that aren’t easy to see, tight tunnels, and makeshift weapons. Ercell is hiding in a limestone bluff full of explosives and secret rooms. Even though they use a lot of familiar tropes, these scenes are full of tension. The choreography is brutal and effective, and it sometimes reminds me of John Wick-style fighting.
It looks like critics are split. IMDb ratings are usually in the middle. Rotten Tomatoes scores show that people are not very happy. People who watch it online seem to be split between praising Chopra’s acting and questioning the story structure. It’s hard to miss how often modern action movies fall into this trap: they have a strong lead but an uneven script.
As I watch this, I get the feeling that the movie wants to say something about being a mother and staying alive. Ercell’s fierceness comes from wanting to keep her son safe. The stakes seem real. The moment is important when she sends him away on a boat with hidden gold under the floorboards. It’s one of the few times in the movie when it feels real.
The design of the production should be mentioned. They built entire villages and cave systems with care. You can see it in how actors move through space, opening drawers that have real things in them instead of just props. That real touch adds depth.
Some choices still feel unsure, though. Some fights are hard to see because of the dark lighting, and CGI sometimes gets in the way. There are also times when villains stop to give monologues before they attack, which makes things less urgent. Historically, pirate movies do well when they have charm and humor. Instead, The Bluff chooses grit.
People might have been ready for a different kind of pirate story. Not cheesy. Not romanticized. Just mean and to the point. It seems like Prime Video is trying to see if mid-budget action movies can do well without big-budget special effects. Investors are cautiously hopeful, but talk of a franchise is still just that: talk.
The ending, which is literally on a cliff, doesn’t let things end neatly. As smoke signals rise, British naval ships get closer. Ercell lives, but she is hurt and doesn’t know if she should run away or stay. The vagueness seems planned, suggesting a sequel without promising one.
You can’t help but think about the genre itself when the credits roll. In the past, pirate movies were the most popular in the summer. Now they’re streaming tests and changing their expectations. The Bluff might not change the genre, but it does push it.
That’s something to be proud of. Not perfect, sometimes uneven, and sometimes frustrating, but willing to try.
