Dangerous (2021)

Character & Plot Overview

Dylan Forrester, a diagnosed sociopath, has spent the last months pursuing rehabilitation under the strict guidance of Dr. Alderwood (Mel Gibson), adhering to medication and therapy to control violent impulses. When he learns of his younger brother Sean’s death, Dylan abandons parole and travels to their remote Guardian Island to attend the funeral—a place meant for healing but soon turning into a battleground.

A ruthless fixer named Cole (Kevin Durand) and his armed mercenaries descend upon the island, hunting for hidden treasure linked to Sean. As Dylan’s mother and the remaining survivors are threatened, he reverts to his lethal instincts—blurring the line between protector and predator.

Action & Emotional Core

• Scott Eastwood brings a stoic chaos to Dylan, balancing emotional detachment with intense physicality.

• Mel Gibson portrays a psychiatrist wrestling with ethical dilemmas and parental concern.

• The film builds toward a brutal showdown inside a half-collapsed submarine hangar, which blends hand-to-hand combat with gunfire and emotional closure.

Director Hackl emphasizes gritty realism: rain-drenched settings, tight shot framing, and tense pacing underscore Dylan’s descent into his former self.

Critical Reception & Controversies

While the premise offered potential for an introspective crime drama, critics generally rejected the film as lacking depth:

• The psychological elements around mental illness and trauma were seen as mishandled—or even romanticized—by many reviewers.

• Some described the tone as uneven, unable to balance serious self-reflection and explosive action.

• On review aggregators, Dangerous earned predominantly negative scores, with particular criticism of its underwhelming writing and performances.

Nonetheless, a fraction of viewers found the concept compelling enough to hold attention—particularly during tense island sequences.

Legacy & Takeaways

Dangerous represents a classic case in which strong cinematic visions and resources are undermined by poor tonal clarity and scripts. While the film delivers on visceral action and delivers a genuinely tense setting, its attempt to frame violence as moral redemption creates dissonance that few critics and audiences could overlook.

Bottom Line

If you're drawn to troubled antiheroes and island-set thrillers, Dangerous might offer a fleeting thrill. But as a holistic cinematic experience—especially one attempting to tackle themes of therapy, mental health, and redemption—it falls short. Its strengths lie in gritty visuals and physical confrontation, not in emotional resonance or narrative coherence.