The Bluff

Retirement never quite takes for someone with a past like hers. A former pirate has built a quiet life on a remote island until her old captain sails back into it with vengeance in hand, and the film turns into a siege story with a very capable woman at its center. Betrayal cuts deep, the tagline warns, and the setup promises the specific pleasure of watching long-buried talents come back out, reluctantly at first and then with real conviction.

Best suited to viewers who like swashbuckling action with a domestic core, where the fight is for family rather than treasure. It runs a trim hour and three-quarters and structures itself the way siege pictures should: pressure applied, defenses improvised, the noose tightening. Expect blood, salt air and a heroine whose competence is the main event. If period action with a revenge undertow is your thing, this makes for a satisfying, uncomplicated watch.