LUCKY STRIKE

(director/writer: Rod Lurie; screenwriter: Marc Frydman; cinematographer: Matthias Schubert, Lorenzo Senatore; editor: Chrystal Khatib; music: Larry Groupe; cast: Scott Eastwood (Castle), Colin Hanks (Colonel Neale), Henry Hughes (Dauntless), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Mrs. Caldwell), Kwame Patterson (Maren), Taylor John Smith (Bellingham), Todor Kotzev (SS NCO Gerhard), Timothy Blore (S.S. acolyte Wilhelm), Scott Alda Coffey (Averil), Hazel Rogers (Nicole), Alfie Stewart (Miller), Jonathan Yunger (Cash); Runtime: 101; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Yarly Lerner, Marc Frydman, Les Welden, Rod Lurie, Jonathan Yunger, Scott Eastwood, Todor Kotzev; Roadside Attractions/Saban Films; 2026)

“A derivative WWII thriller.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
 
A derivative WWII thriller, that’s a true survival story. It pays homage to American heroism and is sincere, but is flatly directed by Rod Lurie (“The Senior”/”The Outpost”), a West Point grad, and tritely co-written by him and Marc Frydman.

It’s set during the Battle of the Bulge, and opens with a sequence in black and white, where a Negro platoon is wiped out.

Meanwhile Colonel Neale (Colin Hanks) orders Captain Castle (Scott Eastwood, son of Clint), to blockade a road with explosives in the Ardennes forest so Nazi Panzer tanks can’t use it.

Castle gets trapped behind enemy lines, but relies on his resourcefulness to evade capture as he tries to return to his unit by eluding the Nazis and surviving in the bitter winter. He’s armed with a portable radio he calls “Lassie,” which proves to be invaluable.

Acting honors go to the supporting actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays a grieving mother with much emotion.

The film was too clunky to make much of an impression and the visuals weren’t that striking. It’s no “Saving Private Ryan,” but it’s a watchable run-of-the-mill war film.

The “Lucky Strike” title is taken because it’s the brand of cigarettes smoked by the hero.

REVIEWED ON 6/27/2026  GRADE: B-
dennisschwartzreviews.com