“Triple Frontier” is an Atlas Entertainment action movie directed by filmmaker J.C. Chandor, who also helmed 2014’s “A Most Violent Year.” With an A-list cast of Hollywood stars, a well-meaning script, and a compelling premise, this Netflix original film attempts to break the mold with its theme of bitterness and greed.
Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Oscar Isaacs) has been working as a private military advisor in Columbia trying to find a reclusive druglord named Lorea (Reynaldo Gallegos) with the help of local law enforcement. His lover and confidential informant Yovanna (Adria Arjona) agrees to help him find the compound and drug money hidden in the house if Pope helps get her brother out of prison.
Pope gathers members of his old Special Forces unit, Tom “Redfly” Davis (Ben Affleck), William “Ironhead” Miller (Charlie Hunnam), Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pedro Pascal), and William’s younger brother Ben Miller (Garrett Hedlund) to assist in the operation. At first, things seem to go smoothly when they take the house and gather the money, but it gets complicated when Davis realizes how much money is actually contained there. Soon, they have to make decisions and compromises that make the mission seem less clear than when they first started.
The movie presents an interesting premise. Each of the protagonists served their country with honor and distinction, but now they are suffering in their personal and professional lives. Redfly and Ironhead are divorced and barely making ends meet with their careers. Catfish has lost his pilot’s license and cannot catch a break. Ben is making a living as a Mixed Martial Arts prizefighter, but he finds no joy in it. When Pope comes along with this get-rich-quick scheme, they all agree to take part, though hesitantly.
At first, they are just men trying to get ahead with this operation, but after they realize how much money is involved, greed starts to take over and they make increasingly problematic decisions. Before long, they all begin to wonder if it was all worth it.
The story is reminiscent of “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, about a poor man who discovers a valuable pearl that can change the fortune of his family, but only brings despair in the end.
The movie attempts to take that route by lining the road to the climax with themes of bitterness, greed, and the dangers of moral compromise. There is nothing wrong with these themes presented in the film. In fact, it was very refreshing to find a movie that did not dive into nihilism and moral relativism. The issue is that, at times, the movie tries a touch too hard to get its message across to the viewer; the moralizing grows distracting and disrupts the narrative flow.
Apart from the heavy-handed moralizing, the movie is solid. The cinematography, the setting, and visuals are stunning from beginning to end. They match the tone of the plot and affect the characters in every step of their journey.
While Affleck and Isaacs are billed as the top performers, Hunnam was the breakout actor of the movie. While he’s mostly known for TV’s “Sons of Anarchy,” he has made appearances in features like “Pacific Rim” and “The Lost City of Z.” This film, however, highlights his talent, as he acts as the conscience of the band of men trying to get their fortunes home.
“Triple Frontier” is crafted with excellence and while it trips over its own themes at times, it is an impressive look at the human condition and how greed corrupts even the noblest of hearts.
Check out the trailer below: