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Code Name Banshee Reviews

The whole thing is extremely straightforward. There are no twists, no turns, no surprises. The story just plays out exactly as it tells us it will. Even the “big” final act showdown (because we have to have a final act showdown) lacks pizzazz.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 16, 2022

The by-the-numbers script by Matthew Rogers careens along, every so-called twist and turn predictable. No flair or creativity seems to have been applied to any of it.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Aug 1, 2022

An assassin tale which lacks interesting ideas about who its characters are, or even wish to be, Code Name Banshee is a cliché-driven, unappealing, rinse-and-repeat exercise in expended bullets, nothing more.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | Jul 16, 2022

While it's great to see King confident in a straight-up warrior role, there's so little actually going on in this flat action movie that it feels like the warmup act for a much better movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 6, 2022

Code Name Banshee is a passable time-filler for action fans, but little else.

Full Review | Jun 30, 2022

Code Name Banshee struggles to be cohesive from the start. The film plays fast and loose with timelines while using bizarre flashback cinematography. The blood-splattering gunplay offers minor thrills.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 30, 2022

There's nothing here that's different from the competition, with Keeyes merely looking to complete the picture, not challenge himself with a stronger serving of assassin antagonisms.

Full Review | Original Score: D- | Jun 29, 2022

This straight-up C-movie...flops into lots and lots of cliche-riddled conversation, time line stumbles (“Five years earlier,” or is it?) and finishes with a whole lot of gunfire, most of it by The Character Who Never Reloads.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jun 27, 2022

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Code name banshee.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 1 Review
• Kids Say 1 Review

Common Sense Media Review

Lots of guns, violence in female-driven action movie.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Code Name Banshee is an action movie about an assassin for hire (Jaime King) helping her late father's former partner (Antonio Banderas) fight a dangerous enemy (Tommy Flanagan). It's great to watch two strong women driving the movie, but there's so little actually going on that it's…

Why Age 15+?

Guns and shooting, including several big shootouts. Blood sprays. Major characte

Fairly frequent use of "f--k," "s--t," "p---y," "a--hole," "bitch," "bastard," "

Lay's Potato Chips seen.

Someone drinks shots in a bar. Social beer drinking.

Any Positive Content?

This is a female-driven action movie, but the two women aren't exactly three-dim

The heroes of the movie are two strong women, though viewers don't know much abo

The movie isn't really about anything other than being the first one to kill the

Violence & Scariness

Guns and shooting, including several big shootouts. Blood sprays. Major characters shot. Grenades and explosions. Man and woman fighting, punching. Woman thrown across room, struggling and kicking. One character shoves another's head down on a desk, threatening with gun.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Fairly frequent use of "f--k," "s--t," "p---y," "a--hole," "bitch," "bastard," "damn," "shite," "Jesus Christ," "badass."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

This is a female-driven action movie, but the two women aren't exactly three-dimensional or deeply emotional. Another major character (played by Antonio Banderas) is Latino.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Role Models

The heroes of the movie are two strong women, though viewers don't know much about them other than how tough they are.

Positive Messages

The movie isn't really about anything other than being the first one to kill the other person. It's all betrayal, violence, and revenge, with no lessons learned and nothing gained.

Parents need to know that Code Name Banshee is an action movie about an assassin for hire ( Jaime King ) helping her late father's former partner ( Antonio Banderas ) fight a dangerous enemy ( Tommy Flanagan ). It's great to watch two strong women driving the movie, but there's so little actually going on that it's ultimately a letdown. Violence includes tons of shootouts, with characters being shot and killed, blood sprays, grenades/explosions, fighting, punching, and women getting treated roughly. Language is also strong, with uses of "f--k," "s--t," "p---y," "a--hole," and more. There's social beer drinking, and a minor character drinks shots in a bar. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Action packed and blood soaked. My kind of movie

What's the story.

In CODE NAME BANSHEE former CIA agent Caleb ( Antonio Banderas ) went into hiding after a mission involving the Russians turned bad. Caleb's partner had a daughter, Banshee ( Jaime King ), who now works as an assassin for hire. While on a job, she has a run-in with deadly ex-special forces man Anthony Greene ( Tommy Flanagan ), who offers her $1 million if she'll give up Caleb's location. She uses all her skills to escape, and then, teamed with her "man in the chair" Kronos (Aleksander Vayshelboym), tracks down Caleb herself. She discovers that he's set up a new life for himself as a bartender and is raising a daughter of his own, Hailey ( Catherine Davis ). But when Kronos is compromised and Greene finds out where Caleb is, the trio must prepare to fight for their lives.

Is It Any Good?

While it's great to see King confident in a straight-up warrior role, there's so little actually going on in this flat action movie that it feels like the warmup act for a much better movie. King is the best thing in Code Name Banshee , as she demonstrates in a cool scene in which she's in an elevator, trapped by four armed henchmen on either side of the door. She drops to the floor, on her back, and with two quick motions, dispatches all of them. Some of the quiet scenes between her, Banderas, and Davis are also somewhat touching. But quiet scenes are rare in this one. It's all about the shootouts: shootout after shootout after shootout.

Aside from that, the movie has many useless flashbacks to Caleb and Banshee's father's failed mission. But even looking at the same footage again and again offers little illumination; none of it matters in the long run. And Flanagan's over-the-top performance as Greene is flat-out annoying, as he spouts creaky old lines like "well, well, well!" and "little pigs! Little pigs!" in a threatening Scottish accent. As the movie winds down after its final showdown, you may realize that the real story here is the two daughters, Banshee and Hailey, now teaming up and becoming a new force to be reckoned with. But that's just where Code Name Banshee ends. It's too bad no one seemed to have seen their potential.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Code Name Banshee 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

How does the movie treat its women characters? Are they strong? Do they have agency? Why does that matter?

What does the movie have to say about revenge?

What is the father-daughter relationship in the story like? How is it similar to or different than your own relationships?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 1, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : August 9, 2022
• Cast : Jaime King , Antonio Banderas , Tommy Flanagan
• Director : Jon Keeyes
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Screen Media Films
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 93 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : May 25, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Atomic Blonde

Black Widow

Charlie's Angels (2019)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Best action movies for kids, thriller movies.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Code Name Banshee (2022)

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Code Name Banshee Movie

Who's Involved:

Antonio Banderas, Jaime King, Jon Keeyes, Matthew Rogers, Tommy Flanagan

Release Date:

Friday, July 1, 2022 Limited

Plot: What's the story about?

Caleb (Antonio Banderas), a former government assassin in hiding, resurfaces when his protégé, the equally deadly killer known as Banshee (Jaime King), discovers a bounty has been placed on Caleb’s head. Now they must put the past behind them and join together one last time to fight off the secret CIA backed killers who threaten to destroy them.

official plot version

3.10 / 5 stars ( 10 users)

Poll: Will you see Code Name Banshee?

Who stars in Code Name Banshee: Cast List

Antonio Banderas

Babygirl, The Clean Up Crew  

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Sin City  

Tommy Flanagan

Boon, The Ballad of Lefty Brown  

Who's making Code Name Banshee: Crew List

A look at the Code Name Banshee behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Jon Keeyes last directed The Clean Up Crew and Cult Killer .

Screenwriter

Matthew Rogers

Screen Media Films

Production Companies

Watch code name banshee trailers & videos.

Official Trailer

Production: what we know about code name banshee, filming timeline.

• 2022 - June : The film was set to Completed  status.

Code Name Banshee Release Date: When was the film released?

Code Name Banshee was a Limited release in 2022 on Friday, July 1, 2022 . There were 12 other movies released on the same date, including Minions: The Rise of Gru , The Princess and Mr. Malcolm's List . As a Limited release, Code Name Banshee will only be shown in select movie theaters across major markets. Please check Fandango and Atom Tickets to see if the film is playing in your area.

Code Name Banshee DVD & Blu-ray Release Date: When was the film released?

Code Name Banshee was released on DVD & Blu-ray on Tuesday, August 9 , 2022 .

Code Name Banshee VOD & Digital: When was the film released digitally?

Code Name Banshee was released across all major streaming and cable platforms on Friday, July 1 , 2022 . Digital rental or purchase allows you to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices. Available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Apple, Vudu and others.

Q&A Asked about Code Name Banshee

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• Wed., Dec. 7, 2022 from Amazon
• added the US DVD release date of August 9, 2022
• Thu., Jun. 30, 2022
• set the MPAA rating to R
• added a running time of 93 minutes
• added a synopsis
• added the US VOD release date of July 1, 2022
• changed the US film release date from TBA to July 1, 2022
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‘Code Name Banshee’ Ending, Explained: Who is Caleb To Banshee? Is Banshee’s Father Dead Or Alive?

“Code Name Banshee” begins on a complex note but then turns into a rather straightforward plot. A woman is being interrogated by the CIA about her dead father and his partner, Caleb, who have been missing from the scene soon after a mission went wrong. The interrogation scene right away sparks our interest about the missing people. It seems that the film has a lot to offer, and you might begin to speculate based on what you see in the beginning. But the way the film unravels makes for a rather dull narrative that tries to play with the motif of a past event. And what makes the film uninteresting is that it does not establish the past (involving the protagonist), which plays an important role in her present. It is surprisingly predictable to the point where, after having watched the film, you might just wish that you had stopped the film midway and then drawn your own conclusions. “Code Name Banshee” is nothing like it promises and barely manages to serve its purpose as an action thriller. But for the sake of it, let us explore Banshee’s world and deduce the who, the why, the what, and the where.

Spoilers Ahead

‘Code Name Banshee’ Plot Summary: What Happens In The Film?

Delilah, whose code name is Banshee (we will refer to her as Banshee), is being interrogated, presumably by the CIA, regarding the intel she holds about two people, namely Jeremy (Colin Walker) and Caleb (Antonio Banderas), both of whom are missing. Jeremy is Banshee’s father, who worked alongside Caleb. They headed a private organization (unnamed in the film) that delivered an asset into the hands of the Russians. The CIA contracted Anthony Greene (former Special Forces) and his team to stop the handover from happening. There was a shootout at the site, and the asset got away. Caleb fled the scene while Jeremy was shot, but his body was not found. Both Caleb and Jeremy have been declared traitors by the CIA, which has put a bounty on their heads. What the CIA wants from Banshee is to find out everything that Caleb and Jeremy might have told the Russians. Banshee is enraged that the organization doubts her father and Caleb, as they both are loyal to it. She quits the organization and vows to return after finding the truth.

Five years later, we see that Banshee has become a contract killer and comes face-to-face with Anthony Greene during a mission contract. He is looking for Caleb and offers Banshee the contract money for intel regarding Caleb and for bringing Caleb to him if possible. But Banshee isn’t willing to give up the person who is her last link to her father. She escapes from Greene’s hands and decides to look for Caleb and then bring Greene down on his knees. The film further explores the question whether Banshee will be able to find the truth behind her father’s death? Did her father and Caleb hand over an asset to the Russians? Well, the plot from hereon has an answer though in the most blurry way possible.

Where Was Caleb Hiding?

Banshee shares a past with Caleb. It is only after she meets Caleb’s daughter Hailey that we find out that she was trained by Caleb, who has known her since she was 7. Towards the beginning of the film, we see Banshee having flashbacks of her time with Caleb. This also shows that she has worked alongside Caleb.  It is through these flashes that she remembers the place Wellburg, New Jersey. Now we do not know the significance of this place, but it is where she finds Caleb with Kronos’s help. The place probably has some significance for Caleb, or he may have always wanted to retire there when the time came. He apparently laid low for two years and then changed his name and bought a bar and a house. Laying low for two years would have allowed him to erase any evidence that could be traced back to him. Then changing his identity (to Walter Herrero) would mean that no one would be able to charge him with the actions of Caleb Navvaro, at least not on paper, as on paper, he is a different person. All he has to do is deny everything.

Despite how much the film intends to wrap around Caleb, we don’t get a clear picture of the relationship he shared with Banshee (seemingly his best friend Jeremy’s daughter). All that is revealed through him is the truth of the handout from five years ago. Rather than a character, he is a means to reveal the truth that Banshee has been searching for. In this way, “Code Name Banshee” fails to implement one of the two arcs of the story, the other being Banshee herself.

What Had Happened During The Handout?

At Caleb’s house, Banshee finds out what happened at the handout five years ago: Malia, the only daughter of a powerful Russian warlord or some minister (we do not know for certain), was in possession of a hard drive that contained intel on customers, transactions, and weapon blueprints that most world governments didn’t know about. She came to Caleb, Jeremy, and their organization for their protection and, in return, offered them the intel. She wanted to be hidden far away from her father, who, according to her, is a monster. The plan, by Caleb and Jeremy, was to hand her over to the CIA at a secure site, and she would then be taken into protective custody. But the CIA sent Anthony Greene and his team to get rid of Caleb and his team while taking Malia. The CIA wanted to kill Caleb and Jeremy because they knew too much. So basically, Banshee was lied to by the woman at the beginning of the film. It wasn’t the Russians that Caleb and Jeremy were handing over the asset to; it was the CIA itself. They wanted to kill Jeremy and Caleb because they knew too much. Keeping in mind that they were in the spy game for too long, it has to be taken for granted that they had a lot of intel. This can and does make them potential dangers to the agency and, frankly speaking, potential “enemies of the state.” All this is fine, but they didn’t choose to trust them for their years of service. Perhaps this is the state of intelligence agencies now. If you are working for the CIA, you, too, are a threat to the agency.

Why Was Anthony Greene Searching For Caleb?

The reason Anthony Greene was after Caleb was because Caleb killed his brother Michael. But there is a question that arises here: Did Greene know about the CIA’s true motives for getting rid of Caleb and Jeremy? Maybe not. And Greene isn’t bothered to find the answer to that question either. He is bent on killing Caleb. On the other hand, we have Banshee, who intends to take revenge but only after finding out what happened to her father (Jeremy). Thus, in a way, “Code Name Banshee” shows both the protagonist and antagonist looking for revenge for the deaths of their loved ones. But neither of the two finds it. Greene isn’t able to get his hands on Caleb. And Banshee, too, doesn’t find the answer (about her father) she was looking for from Greene. She doesn’t even get the chance to get more out of him than she already knows.

‘Code Name Banshee’ Ending Explained: Does Banshee Find Her Father, Jeremy?

When Greene and Banshee come face to face towards the end of the film, Greene tells her that the last time he saw Jeremy was when he was being beaten by a couple of guys, lying in a pool of blood. But he doesn’t say if he is dead or alive. Neither does Caleb, in the middle of the film, give a concrete answer about Jeremy’s death. All that Caleb told Banshee was that he saw Jeremy go down. So, to answer the question of whether Banshee finds out where her father is, no, she doesn’t. In fact, she doesn’t even find out if her father is dead or alive. “Code Name Banshee” ends with Hailey asking Banshee if they will have to kill more people. This is after they kill Greene and his whole team. Banshee answers that it depends on who they are going after. Banshee might go after the CIA now, as it is the only way for her to find more intel on her father.

The beginning of the film makes things seem quite complex. A daughter who is being interrogated by the CIA regarding her father’s true motives, is certainly intriguing. Furthermore, her father’s partner is missing too. There are numerous possibilities, including the unnerving one that it might have been Caleb who hatched a plot to kill his partner (Jeremy) in return for intel for the CIA by shaking hands with Greene. However, one need not think to such an extent, as the film makes it clear quickly that Caleb isn’t a bad guy. Coming back to Banshee, she is sure that Caleb isn’t the culprit, and this makes her want to track him down and find out what really happened. It is trust that is her motivation here. After all, she was 7 when she first met him and has known him ever since. The disappearance of Banshee’s father, Jeremy, on the other hand, has a darkness surrounding it that only Caleb can throw light on. But later on, Banshee, as well as the audience, find out that even Caleb doesn’t know where her father’s body went. He may have survived, or he may not have. Naturally, being Jeremy’s daughter, Banshee’s first instinct tells her that he is alive somewhere. While there are chances that Jeremy is dead, even recovering his body will be a relief for Banshee rather than not knowing where his body is. And this uncertainty remains with Banshee till the very end.

Sadly, the film doesn’t show or tell if Jeremy truly did die or not. And we cannot really trust Caleb when he tells Banshee that he saw Jeremy go down because he fled the spot. We certainly can’t trust Greene as we know that he would rather lie than tell the truth to Banshee and thus keep her in the dark. And thus, Banshee remains in the dark about the truth regarding her father from the beginning of the film to its end. In this way, perhaps the film “Code Name Banshee” justifies its title as Banshee remains Banshee from beginning to end without being able to be her father’s beloved Delilah.

 “Code Name Banshee” is a 2022 Drama Thriller film directed by Jon Keeyes.

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Code Name Banshee

By Alex Saveliev | August 1, 2022

Jon Keeyes’ action-thriller  Code Name Banshee  brings to mind cheapo 1990s straight-to-video flicks, from the way it looks and sounds to its half-assed plot. It’s a shame, as there’s actually a modicum of potential here. Jaime King could have been a badass female (anti) hero. Antonio Banderas – El Mariachi himself, who once melted hearts and quickened pulses – could have been a formidable assassin. Neither seems to care all that much. So why should the audience?

The plot is as basic as it gets: after a redundant opening scene, assassin Banshee (King) shoots her way out of an elevator to discover that another assassin, Anthony Greene (Tommy Flanagan), has beaten her to their mutual target. However, Anthony is willing to give Banshee the credit and the cash if she hands over – you guessed it – another assassin, Caleb (Banderas). Caleb wronged Anthony in the past, and so now he seeks revenge. Banshee shoots her way out of the building and embarks on a mission to find Caleb, with whom she too shares a tumultuous past.

It doesn’t take her long to locate the man, as he’s in plain view, running a shitty little bar. She tells him of Anthony’s plans. “I am not gonna let him get away this time,” she tells Caleb. “Looks like I trained you well,” he responds.  Boom  – the two of them are now a murderous duo, or rather trio, as Caleb’s teenage daughter Hailey (Catherine Davis) is another sort-of assassin. (There are so many assassins in this film, you’d think we were watching Banderas’s 1995 flop  Assassins .) Of course, complications arise, such as the betrayal on behalf of Banshee’s right-hand sidekick, and so on, until it all culminates in an inevitable shootout, with our heroes trapped in their own home.

“ Caleb wronged Anthony in the past, and so now he seeks revenge .”

“No one sets out to make a bad movie,” goes the saying. It certainly feels like the filmmakers behind  Code Name Banshee  couldn’t give less of a f**k. The feature is haphazardly edited, with the shot-from-afar fight scenes particularly egregious, clearly revealing stunt doubles. Everything is immersed in murky browns and washed-out grays; the film is so devoid of color that it’s almost black-and-white. The by-the-numbers script by Matthew Rogers careens along, every so-called twist and turn predictable. No flair or creativity seems to have been applied to any of it.

King, in an unexpected change of pace, exudes a steely charm that’s muted by the film’s incompetence. Banderas manages to grasp onto some moments to shine but is way underused in what should have been a meaty role. Flanagan is the only one who seems to be having any fun, chewing on ham like there’s no tomorrow.

Perhaps the only way to approach Rogers’ risible dialogue is with a healthy dose of cynicism. “I’m the executioner, not the judge,” Banshee states when asked what her victim did to deserve such fate. “There’s more to life than just contract killing,” Caleb reminds Banshee, along with some other forgettable s**t, to which she responds: “I’m happy for your happiness.” “What was it like when you lost your parents?” Hailey wonders before an intense shootout.

Perhaps with a good polish, or more like a deep scrubbing, this could’ve been an unremarkable but decent way to spend 90 minutes. As it stands, file  Code Name Banshee  under “expendable,” or go watch  The Expendables  instead. At least that film purposefully resurrects 1990s icons and pays homage to action flicks of yore. Keeyes and Co couldn’t muster enough of a damn to even do that much.

Code Name Banshee (2022)

Directed: Jon Keeyes

Written: Matthew Rogers

Starring: Jaime King, Antonio Banderas, Tommy Flanagan, Catherine Davis, etc.

Movie score: 4/10

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Code Name Banshee (2022) Review

Code Name Banshee? More like Code Name Banal.

https://www.voicesfromthebalcony.com/2022/07/02/code-name-banshee-2022-review/

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• AV Undercover

Code Name Banshee 's assassin story lacks creative firepower

Jaime king and antonio banderas star in a rinse-and-repeat exercise in expended bullets.

If and when extraterrestrials ever conduct a full quantitative inventory and analysis of our filmed entertainment, assassins would definitely fall into the category of occupational statistical overrepresentation, and probably merit some red-flag questions about humankind’s cultural preoccupation.

Decades ago, it was easy to view many films about assassins as chiefly an exploration of the taboo. Certainly, via the work of John Woo and others, assassin tales unpacked the notion of heroic bloodshed. Then such stories also became vehicles for flamboyant exhibitions of style. It could also be argued that in their most well-crafted incarnations, movies about assassins offered up a way to comment on the times.

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Now, watching movies like Code Name Banshee , starring Jaime King and Antonio Banderas, it seems worth questioning whether our fascination is rooted in anything genuine, or simply a reflexive, held-at-gunpoint narrative template—the path of least resistance for a cobbled-together coalition of international financiers who see movies less as actual stories than 90-minute collections of filmed scenes in which people run around with guns.

Directed by Jon Keeyes, Code Name Banshee centers around Delilah (King), a contract killer whose professional moniker gives the movie its title. After an ill-conceived flashback cold opening which establishes several parties being framed by the CIA, Delilah arrives for a job only to find she’s been set-up by Anthony Greene (Tommy Flanagan), another killer with connections to her father’s years-ago disappearance and presumed death.

Anthony wants the location of Delilah’s old mentor Caleb Navvaro (Banderas), who has retired and gone off the grid. Delilah rejects his threatening offer, but Anthony flips her computer-hacking assistant, Kronos (Aleksander Vayshelboym), who clues Anthony and his roster of goons into Delilah’s (correct) belief that she might know where Caleb is. As Anthony closes in, this sets up a showdown involving Delilah, Caleb, and Caleb’s young adult daughter Hailey (Catherine Davis), who believes her father to simply be a construction worker who’s fallen into disfavor with the mob.

Keeyes, a prolific, independent-minded producer-director whose credits include a lot of modestly-budgeted genre efforts, seemingly aims here for “day-making” functionality, and the result is damaging. In both staging and overall pacing, he repeatedly rebuffs opportunities to give his film a sense of individual personality.

As scripted by Matthew Rogers, Code Name Banshee also struggles to carve out any genuine sense of differentiation for itself. The motivation and stakes are all two-dimensional, defined only by mortality and the pat designation of certain characters as good and others as bad. The flashback material, which attempts to create some mystery or intrigue about Delilah’s past, and her path to this line of work, doesn’t connect, and only creates more questions by way of a muddied timeline.

Further weighing the movie down is amateurish and utterly unappealing technical packaging. Benjamin Weinman’s score is both pounding and tired, timed to specific onscreen impacts. The action staging, with the arguable exception of a one-on-three confrontation at Caleb’s bar, is generic, leaving editor R.J. Cooper to try (and more often than not fail) to cut around problem areas. Worst of all is a misguided visual palette, from cinematographer Austin F. Schmidt, that leans into heavy shadow and attempts to impose a single aesthetic across several very different locations.

If there’s a pinch of counterbalancing quality, it’s arguably in the acting. Flanagan introduces his character with smartly calibrated flair, and makes him somewhat distinct without tipping over into rampant scenery-chewing. King, given the heaviest lift, plays things straight and square-jawed.

Banderas, meanwhile, locates slight notes of regret which make a viewer wish they could simply wander off with his character into a different film. Early in his career, Banderas leveraged and leaned into his raw charisma and physicality for roles. Since suffering a heart attack and undergoing surgery in 2017, he’s been open about the effects of those health struggles on his perspective on acting.

That shift, or maturation, has yielded rich new veins of comfortableness in his own skin, for in his slowly deployed smiles and other nonverbal cues there are thousands of different meanings. Code Name Banshee teases this pleasant depth, giving Banderas two good scenes, inclusive of a fireside catch-up with Delilah. Unfortunately, it also saddles him with some cringe-inducing dialogue (“There’s more to life than just contract killing”), and underutilizes him in general.

In the end, Code Name Banshee doesn’t have interesting ideas about who its characters are, or even wish to be. It’s a cliché-driven, rinse-and-repeat exercise in expended bullets, nothing more.

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Code Name Banshee (2022)

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Caleb, a former government assassin in hiding, who resurfaces when his protégé, the equally deadly killer known as Banshee, discovers a bounty has been placed on Caleb's head.

Code Name Banshee

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Code Name Banshee Review: A Confounding Girl Power Actioner

A contract killer (Jaime King) and her CIA mentor (Antonio Banderas) are hunted by an old adversary (Tommy Flanagan) in Code Name Banshee.

Exclusive Code Name Banshee Clip: An Assassin With a Silencer Goes to Work

A former government assassin resurfaces in Code Name Banshee, available in theaters and on demand on July 1, 2022.

Code Name Banshee (2022) Review: Highly Confusing Revenge Thriller

The film focuses on, well, of course, Banshee (don’t call her that though). She has become a contract killer and crosses paths with an old rival who wants her to hand over her ex-mentor, Caleb (Antonio Banderas). 

Writer Matthew Rogers forgot to mention or include a montage of where/how Banshee got trained. Unless she was already an agent who got assigned to Caleb. However, even that seems unlikely after watching the introduction and certain flashbacks. 

Related to Code Name Banshee –  The Northman [2022] Review – A Simple Tale Of Revenge With A Grand Vision By Robert Eggers

We even fail to see how Banshee has an issue with Anthony Greene, unless she is only in this to protect Caleb. But it’s quite clear that she has some personal hatred towards Tommy Flanagan’s character and vice versa.

However, credit where credit is due. The fights are entertaining and have believable choreography. I liked the fact that the makers remembered that bullets go through wood. Another memorable instance is when Banshee deals with the henchmen outside the lift. That was an extremely creative move.

  Antonio Banderas has moved on from his Robert Rodriguez roles. The cool quotient has disappeared, but he packs a punch as an exiled CIA agent who works as a bartender. He looks like someone trying to shed his old life, but you can’t take some things away. Caleb shoots like a dream and single-handedly destroys three men. 

Jaime King remained the standout, no-nonsense assassin who really brought the stone-cold killer to life extremely well. If only she had some good lines, Banshee would have been remembered. The one character from Code Name Banshee that would get remembered is Greene. His mannerisms and aura as the antagonist may grow on the audience. However, foolish writing plagues him as well. 

Overall, Code Name Banshee is a confusing revenge thriller that serves as a decent one-time watch; only for the unexaggerated fight scenes. The fight scenes aren’t prolonged (even Banshee vs Greene), and it is a blessing that the director didn’t opt for slow motion. That would have only prolonged the agony. 

Code Name Banshee (2022) Movie Links – IMDb , Rotten Tomatoes Code Name Banshee (2022) Movie Cast – Antonio Banderas, Jaime King, Tommy Flanagan, Kim DeLonghi, Catherine Davis, Dylan Flashner

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Well, it would be stating the obvious if someone proclaimed their love for films here. Why else would they be here? What would be useful, is knowing that I adore Hitchcock, Tarantino, and Nolan. I'm not averse to any type of film though as each cinematic work of art assists me in growing as a person and a cinema lover and a writer.

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