What if we told you there was a new inventive action thriller on Hulu with heart. Also, it stars Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts and Frank Grillo? And Ken Jeong, Selina Lo and Michelle Yeoh have memorable appearances? You’d say wake me up, I’m dreaming. Well, this movie exists right now on Hulu. It is called Boss Level.
Joe Carnahan directs this new action feast. Carnahan is the writer and director of films like Narc, Smokin Aces and The Grey. The production team describes his latest as a mix of the world-altering twistiness of Inception, the tough talking pulpiness of Big Trouble in Little China, the folding timelines of Looper and a dash of Hong Kong style action. Mix in a a decent amount of Groundhog Day for good measure.
Think about how you’d have to play a 16-bit side scrolling video game again and again until you got everything right and were able to meet and defeat the final boss. That sums up this film in a nutshell. Video game enthusiasts will love and relate to Boss Level. In addition, amidst all the mayhem, there is wonderful story about a father and son reconnecting.
Frank Grillo plays Roy Pulver. He wakes every morning in his apartment and is killed by assassins in multiple ways. Including being shot, blown up or stabbed. Upon dying, like Edge of Tomorrow, he wakes up and the day starts anew.
He has to repeat the day again and again until he figures out how to save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) and 11 year old son. Meanwhile, a military scientist named Ventor, played by Mel Gibson, wants something called “The Osiris Spindle”.
By setting things right, Roy can become the best version of himself – if he can save himself from being killed again.
The Journey to Boss Level
Carnahan originally read a script he liked called Continue. ” The director says, “I thought it was very inventive and smart. But what I really loved about it was this idea of a guy who’s been an absentee father and husband who, through a sci-fi plot twist, experiences a repeating moment in which — if he has enough attempts — he can right the wrongs he’s done and redeem himself in the eyes of the people he loves.”
The Narc director started rewriting the script and leveled up the emotional stakes.
The phrase “Boss Level,” explains Carnahan, “is a phrase that anyone who plays videogames will understand instantly — it’s the ultimate boss, the highest and toughest level of difficulty in a fighting game. Here, that becomes this idea of Roy Pulver being killed and then reincarnated as he’s trying to get to Col. Ventor. The ‘boss level’ is Ventor; he’s the ultimate challenge after all the assassins have been killed. I also just thought it’s a cool combination of words. It has a punchiness to it.”
Carnahan’s wife actually inspired him. She likes his dramas but not his comedies as much. The director took the challenge to combine both in Boss Level.
Assembling the Amazing Team of Actors
Mel Gibson says “I’ve always loved Joe, I’ve known him for years. So if he throws down, if he’s making something, I want to be there with him.”
The Lethal Weapon actor says Carnahan and Grillo tempted him to come on board by saying “We might have some fun.” Gibson liked the layers of Ventor and actually wanted him to be a bit sympathetic.
The first thing you’re obliged to do in filmmaking or storytelling is: you must entertain,” says Gibson. “That’s a prerequisite. That in and of itself is a valid reason to make something. If you can add in something else of meaning, that’s great. And I think there are good lessons to be learned in this movie.”
Naomi Watts also praises the director, “Joe has an incredible energy on set, which is something you have to have for this kind of movie. Not only that, but he’s also impressively precise with his choices — and such a lovely guy. I loved working with him.”
Watts was up to the challenge.
“I always love a new challenge!” Watts says enthusiastically. “My first day on set was the production’s fifteenth day or so of shooting, and coming in, it definitely felt like stepping into a boys’ club.” Which fits, because, as Watts adds, “The film is a wild testosterone ride of mayhem.”
“Boss Level isn’t my usual kind of film,” Watts says, “but it really was as much fun on the page as it was to shoot!”
