Tense, tumultuous circumstances often have a unique way of driving former allies apart, and bringing estranged opponents together. That’s certainly the case for the characters played by Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray and Jesse Metcalfe in the timely new action cyber-thriller, Fortress. The equally emotionally and visually-driven film was written by Alan Horsnail and directed by genre veteran, James Cullen Bressack.

Fortress follows Robert (Willis), a retired CIA agent who’s living at a remote Forge Mountain retreat that protects former government operatives after they depart from their jobs. His estranged son, Paul (Metcalfe), who owns a cryptocurrency firm, is struggling to keep his company in business after experiencing a difficult financial period. So Paul decides to visit his father, who he hasn’t seen since his mother died several years earlier, to ask him to sign over his mother’s family fortune to him to help stop his company from falling into bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, a team of violent mercenaries, which is led by Balzary (Murray), break into the Forge Mountain resort in order to expose Robert’s history as a CIA operative who dealt with dark money, and use it to their advantage. Paul is immediately surprised to hear about his father’s history with Balzary, and doesn’t know what to do in the situation.

However, Robert quickly escorts his son to the retreat’s titular underground high-tech bunker, which is fortified with steel walls and advanced technology and weapons. The duo must quickly learn how to work together with the resort’s team, including director Kate (Kelly Greyson) and security chief Dobbs (Shannen Doherty), to defeat the ex-CIA agent’s newly resurfaced nemesis.

The movie is a unique entry in the contemporary independent action thriller genre, as its driven by Paul’s relatable emotional journey. He must battle his feelings of despair of being on the brink of almost losing his company to bankruptcy, and having to overcome his pride to ask for financial help from his estranged father, whose former career as a CIA agent he knew nothing about until now.

Metcalfe and Willis naturally portray their respective characters’ unease of not knowing how to approach each other when they see each other for the first time in several years at the retreat after Robert purposely walked out of his son’s life. However, their reliance on, and trust in, each other is instinctively reignited when Balzary and his team descend on the retreat to unleash his revenge.

While Fortress features intricate, emotionally-driven and engaging relationships between its main characters, particularly the recently reunited Paul and Robert and the latter’s enemy in Balzary, the feature mainly thrives on its striking visuals. While the drama was made independently, it captures the genuine aesthetic feeling of its bigger studio counterparts, from the production design to the stunt work.

Peter Cordova, who served as the production designer on Fortress, reunited with Bressack on the feature after they previously worked together on another action thriller released earlier this year, Survive the Game, which also stars Willis and Murray. Using their previous collaboration to his advantage to understand the look the helmer was looking for in their latest film’s eponymous building and surrounding grounds of the resort, the production designer crafted an isolating compound that initially appears tranquil and serene, but ultimately proves to offer intense security measures in dangerous situations.

Paul is initially surprised that his father would willingly choose to retire in such a remote and secluded environment. But once he uncovers the details about Robert’s past, he begins to understand the necessity for the privacy and security the compound offers. During the production of Fortress, which was shot in Puerto Rico, Cordova used the tropical locale to create a secure and relaxing environment that Robert and his fellow former agents would believably retire in after enduring stressful careers, much to Paul’s surprise.

The drama is also driven by enthralling action sequences that were created by stunt coordinator Raul Alcocer, who also worked on Survive the Game. His continued collaboration with Bressack, Willis and Murray allowed him to create stellar fight sequences that highlight the actors’ physical strengths. The stunts also emphasize the ever-growing tension between Robert and Balzary as they battle over their lingering conflict from when they worked together.

Despite Paul’s ignorance over his father’s career until Balzary and his team descended upon the retreat, Metcalfe was also given intriguing fight sequences that proved he fits right in with his co-stars in the action movie. His stunts showcase that Paul is gaining confidence in standing up for himself as he learns how to defend himself in such a life-threatening situation.

While Fortress also leans into the campy nature of some of the troupes of independent action thrillers, including corny jokes and predictable, melodramatic plot points and twists, the overall feature effortlessly emphasizes the importance of families doing whatever it takes to protect the ones they love. From engaging, relatable relationships between its main characters, to its striking visuals, particularly its production design and stunt work, the drama is an emotionally-driven, action-packed standout for fans of the genre.

Fortress is now playing in select theaters and On Demand, and is also available on Blu-ray and DVD, courtesy of Lionsgate.

Grade: B+

Here’s the trailer of the film.