It’s nice to see a pirate movie that isn’t led by a male protagonist in favor of a female counterpart. While the gender-swapping approach isn’t anything new, with past female pirates in cinema featured in the likes of Jean Peters’ Capt. Anne Providence in Anne of the Indies (1951), Geena Davis’ Morgan Adams in Cutthroat Island (1995), and of course, Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann in four Pirates of the Caribbean films. But when was the last time you watched a pirate movie where the actress plays the leading role? As far as I could remember, at least by the mainstream standards, that would be Cutthroat Island back in 1995, which was ironically the last time Hollywood pumped out a sizable budget for a female-led pirate movie after Renny Harlin’s ambitious swashbuckling blockbuster sank at the box office along with the once-thriving Carolco Pictures into the bottom of the ocean.
It’s not like a female-led pirate movie became obsolete ever since, with the little-seen Grainne Uaile: The Movie being the recent example. Fast-forward to 2026, it’s a refreshing change of pace to have Priyanka Chopra Jonas onboard to play – no, not as an aristocrat or a damsel in distress – a pirate in The Bluff. At least in the earlier parts of the movie, her character Ercell doesn’t seem like one. She lives peacefully with her family on the idyllic Cayman Brac in the Caribbean Sea. She looks more like a mild-mannered, domestic wife who spends time chopping coconuts and taking care of her disabled young son, Isaac (Vedanten Naidoo) and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Safia Oakley-Green).
Frank E. Flowers, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Ballarini, doesn’t waste time getting to the point after a while. The story takes a turning point when Ercell hears footsteps approaching from outside, prompting her to get ready with a musket. The subsequent home invasion showcases Flowers’ approach in embracing the movie’s gritty tone, particularly when a group of vicious pirates trespassing her property. Their motive? They are looking to retrieve the stolen gold bars, and apparently, Ercell has something to do with it since she used to be a pirate bearing the nickname of “Bloody Mary”. She is also used to be Captain Connor’s (Karl Urban) lover and second-in-command, who has since left her past behind to start a new life.
Well, not for long, as Connor’s crew has arrived on the island with the notorious captain himself looking for payback. From here, it’s basically a straightforward premise about a woman with a violent past being forced to revert to her old ways. And for a while there, the first 30 minutes or so see Ercell transform from a regular housewife to a deadly killer who is skillful in using sharp objects and hand-to-hand combats to dispatch the intruding pirates. Flowers doesn’t hold back when it comes to the action scenes as second unit director Robert Alonzo (Deadpool, The Batman and Captain America: Brave New World) and the Mortal Kombat reboot’s fight coordinator Chan Griffin stage the visceral fights with sheer brutality and violence. The pirates are as uncompromising as Ercell, reflecting the ruthless nature of these buccaneers.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ past experience in the action-oriented roles from TV’s Quantico and Citadel to last year’s Heads of State made her the right fit to play such a physically demanding role. She’s formidable and agile, while her no-nonsense persona proves to be a perfect foil for Urban’s ominous Connor. The latter does a good job playing an intimidating antagonist without succumbing to the over-the-top villainy of a typical pirate role.
However, the movie somehow wobbles with the midsection turning into a series of hit-and-miss affairs. It doesn’t help either when some of the action scenes are shot either in the dark or a dimly lit environment, which at times makes it frustrating to immerse in the choreography. This is especially true with the climactic third act taking place in the titular bluff, referring to the outcrop which is doubled as a stronghold and a booby-trapped location meant to trap the unsuspecting intruders.
Fortunately, The Bluff comes alive again with the culmination of Ercell vs. Connor on the edge of the cliff as they engage in a thrilling, fight-to-the-death sword battle. It’s far from a great pirate movie that I’ve been anticipating in the first place, but for a straight-to-streaming Prime Video feature, The Bluff offers plenty of bloody swashbuckling thrills to spend 101 minutes of your home viewing experience.
The Review
The Bluff
The Russo brothers-produced swashbuckler action thriller boasts Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ engaging lead performance.
