Spades
September 11th, 2026
MOVIE: SPADES
STARRING: JOHNNY YONG BOSCH, JASON NARVY, NOBUAKI SHIMAMOTO, MAYA BRATTKUS
DIRECTED BY: JOHNNY YONG BOSCH
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 115 MINUTES
It will come as no consolation to writer/director and lead star Johnny Yong Bosch, but his film Spades has potential. Although I’m not giving it a positive rating, the reality is that there is a skilled filmmaker at work here. The former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers star has a history of working in action and martial arts films, and that experience shows. Unfortunately, without the proper budget and with a story that has been done countless times before, Spades fails to generate the thrills it so desperately needs.
The story begins with flashbacks to a group of Marines fighting a war in the Middle East, playing cards and finding brief moments of happiness in their camaraderie. James (Jason Narvy) and his friend Spades (Bosch) clearly share a bond that has left a lasting impact. Fast-forward to today, and James is a police detective assigned to investigate a series of vigilante murders, each marked by a skull-branded spade. A connection links the past and present. Still, when James’ daughter, Lana (Maya Brattkus), is kidnapped by a group of traffickers, he becomes personally invested in the case, desperate to save the family he has left.
In terms of comparisons, Spades feels like a combination of a David Ayer film, Death Wish, and the action-driven energy of Taken. The narrative follows the familiar beats of countless gritty action movies, but Bosch clearly understands how to choreograph a fight and stage his action sequences. Sadly, the shortcomings are evident in areas such as cheap-looking CGI blood, frantic editing designed to hide limited settings, and dialogue that feels ripped from other gritty cop dramas.
The most impressive performance comes from Narvy, who shows he has much more range than one might expect. There’s also an amusing juxtaposition in watching the former Power Rangers actor take on such a gritty role. Narvy carries the film as a father seeking redemption, struggling with the difficult task of putting an end to his good friend’s vigilante ways while simultaneously trying to bring down a crime syndicate. Meanwhile, Bosch demonstrates a genuine appreciation for the mechanics of a thrilling action film and occasionally manages to deliver sequences that feel far bigger than the movie’s limited budget.
Those may ultimately be excuses for Spades, because the film becomes increasingly sluggish as it crawls toward its final action sequence. Bosch has the right ideas and plenty of inspiration, but the final product is hindered by budget restrictions and would benefit greatly from tightening its bloated, nearly two-hour runtime. I’m always on board for a thrilling, gritty action movie, and Spades comes close to playing its cards right. In the end, though, it’s still another losing hand.
2 STARS
SPADES IS NOW AVAILABLE TO RENT ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
Written by: Leo Brady
