SOULCATCHER
Poland, 2023, 98 minutes, Colour.
Piotr Witkowski, Jacek Koman.
Directed by Daniel Markowicz.
An action thriller from Poland which resembles so many of the mercenary in action fight films from the US as well is around Asia. It has been written and directed by Daniel Markovich, whose films show his liking for American thriller genres, Bartkowiak and Lesson Plans (the latter starring this film is lead, Piotr Witkowski).
While the English title is catching, the more extended Polish title gives a quick indication of the direction of the film, Operation Catcher.
This Is a film about a group of former military, release from service for a variety of reasons, involved in Polish security, but now acting as mercenaries for higher. Their target is a scientist who seems to have gone rogue, working from a dictatorial general in a neighbouring country, creating a machine which was intended to cure cancer but which has lethal powers, turning ordinary people into aggressors. During the raid on the installation, the machine is turned on the hero’s brother who becomes violent, a violent confrontation and his death. However, they get photos of the installation to return to a Polish official.
The action fans, quite a lot of fights, shootouts… And the variety of the team, the leader, a female mercenary, a chubby pilot, a giant soldier who likes dogs, an Afghan refugee. On return, they are interrogated by the government official who seem suspicious – however, as might be expected in this kind of plot, the commissioning official turns out to be a megalomaniac, wanting machine to take control of the people, using fear as his means for election.
Which means then that there are quite a number of dangerous mission episodes, the scientist daughter claiming that he is innocent and was being used, her collaboration and falling for the hero, the rescue of the scientist and his telling the truth, all kinds of action sequences.
This is an action show which is to be enjoyed, and demanding, and as with the director’s previous films, released on Netflix.
