Gunslingers (2025)

Gunslingers (2025) is a film that can’t be taken seriously, it’s just not a good film, but it’s great fun. The pace is slow, as are some of the scenes. In fact, everything drags on and the actors are rather poorly directed at times. But it’s great to see Nicolas Cage again, the man who never stops making films because he loves his job so much!

Gunslingers is an American western action film written, produced, directed, and edited by Brian Skiba. It stars Stephen Dorff, Heather Graham, Nicolas Cage, and the young Scarlet Rose Stallone. And let’s not forget Costas Mandylor! A fine line-up of actors. Dedicated to the memory of Pete Porteous, he was an actor known for Sympathy for the Devil (2023), Intensive Care (2018), and American Streetfighter (1992). He died on 11 May 2024 in California, USA.

I liked all these actors and actresses. I won’t be able to talk about all of them, but Nicolas Cage—we don’t need to introduce him any more! He’s never stopped filming, so passionate is this man about his craft. Memorable in Vampire’s Kiss (1988), Family Man (2000), The Wicker Man (2006), City of Angels (1998), Snake Eyes (1998), 8MM (1999), Next (2007), Pig (2021), and The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent (2022), he’ll be just as memorable here.

Stephen Dorff is best remembered as the big bad in Blade (1998). But I know he was in Sofia Coppola’s first bad film, Somewhere (2010)!

Heather Graham is always a pleasure to watch; she’s one of those people you could mistake for a vampire, as she doesn’t seem to be ageing. As far as her roles are concerned, I’ll mention Boogie Nights (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), From Hell (2001), Killing Me Softly (2002), Hope Springs (2003), and also Boogie Woogie (2009).

Costas Mandylor is of course best known for the Saw saga (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10), apart from the series Picket Fences (1992-1996). It’s always good to see this kind of actor elsewhere. By the way, remember that he’s also in Locked In (2021) alongside Jeff Fahey and Mena Suvari!

And finally, Scarlet Rose Stallone is one of Sly Stallone‘s daughters. I was delighted to discover her here! We’ll see if she makes a career out of it. So yes, there’s a 7 Mercenaries feel to it, given that it’s a handful of people standing up to a whole army! But it’s not nearly as spectacular and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. This film won’t join my favourite Westerns like Silverado (1985), Bad Girls (1994), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and The Magnificent Seven (1960) and its 2016 remake. But it’s still fun and funny.

Those who don’t like Nicolas Cage won’t like him any better here. Those who’ve never seen him will think he’s playing badly and overacting, while his adoring fans will once again rejoice and find him incredible! As for the other actors, if you want to find them as they were in the roles that made them famous, you’ll be disappointed. If you just enjoy seeing them and, above all, catching up with them all again, you’re in for a treat.

Don’t expect great cinema, just decent entertainment. Gunslingers is going to be quickly forgotten and I don’t think it’s going to gain a cult following after a few years, or that people are going to think it wasn’t so bad. I can’t even imagine people suddenly saying it’s genius! But as far as I’m concerned, I had a great time and that day I couldn’t have asked for more.