SWELTER is a very poor little heist thriller about a group of bank robbers who meet up again years after committing their ultimate crime. The hunt for missing loot brings them back together, but rivalries and vendettas are endemic and the blood begins to flow. Sadly, this is a film which manages to waste the talents of a familiar cast in a story which unsuccessfully mixes family drama, romance, and more showdowns than you can shake a stick at. Jean-Claude Van Damme headlines but is barely in the movie, which mainly follows around sheriff Lennie James as he attempts to keep everybody in check. I love James after seeing him in THE WALKING DEAD but even his talents are wasted here, and you wonder why others like Alfred Molina bothered showing up. A few action scenes aren't enough to make it worth tuning in for.

This is the worst film I have seen this year.The plot makes no sense whatsoever. The characters are stupid - I mean really stupid - and the script is somewhere between rubbish and turgid.The director clearly wanted to make a Tarantino style western/gangster movie but could not direct or write a script get anywhere near this.One of those films where you realise half an hour in that you have another hour of this to go but you might as well as you are already in it..and then an hour later you realise you made a bad decision an hour earlier.I have to write more apparently to publish my review...so now the film is annoying me more by making me type more about it. This should definitely be near the top of your avoid list.

How wonderful to see Van Damme actually acting! This film is blessed with a lovely cast- some excellent actors, who we don't see enough of, make up the ensemble. Always incredible Lennie James, trusted Alfred Molina, and sensual Freya Tingley, each bring their massive talents to their performances- their craft is seamless and a pleasure to watch. And the guys that make up the gang are hilarious and frightening at the same time (Daniele Favilli in particular)- leaving the audience little time to decide who the good, the bad, and the downright ugly actually are. The creative camera work, sometimes unexpected angles, various movements, framing, and a few surprising lighting choices, as well as what renders clearly as thoughtful direction, all combined make for a fun viewing experience. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more from director Keith Parmer- would love to see what he'd do with a predominantly female cast in the same genre! An entertaining independent feature with commendable production value, SWELTER deserves an audience that celebrates not only sexy masculine storytelling but that recognizes Jean Claude Van Damme as more than an action hero. Hopefully this film will allow JC to expand his reach and his skill level- in SWELTER he holds his own in this fabulous cast and shines in a way we've not seen enough of.

A great arsenal of actors. An well directed film. An actor like Van Damme that try to show that he is really an actor. And now we can see that he really is. An unconventional action movie, that play with the perception and the expectation that the public have of Van Damme's character. I think that's what we need. Not another "Van Damme" film.The film in general is interesting. It looks like "An history of violence", but with more attention for the presence of a lot of intense characters, and a more accessible fruition for a larger target.Well edited and well directed, especially in the first part. I hope that it can be distributed in Italy Too.