Story: Set in 1846 on Cayman Brac, the plot follows Ercell, a former pirate living quietly with her family. When her old partner, Captain Connor, arrives to reclaim stolen gold, she must fight to protect her new life.Review: ‘The Bluff’ is designed as a full-scale action vehicle for Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and it gives her ample room to display both physical strength and emotional control. From sword fights to close combat with knives, she moves with assurance and purpose. There is a sense that she has trained hard for this part, and that effort shows in her action sequences. While the plot itself is not particularly strong, the film remains engaging whenever she is on screen. With Hollywood stalwarts like Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, and Zoe Saldana sharing producer credits, the film’s scale and mounting are clearly evident. The film also manages to keep its runtime under two hours, which works in its favour. However, several key plot points feel hurried, as if the story is eager to move to the next action set piece without fully exploring its emotional stakes.Set in 1846 on the island of Cayman Brac in the Caribbean, the story follows Ercell (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), a woman who has carefully buried her violent past. She now lives a quiet life with her caring husband, her young son Isaac (Vedanten Naidoo), and her sister-in-law (Safia Oakley-Green). What they do not know is that she was once a feared pirate who sailed dangerous waters. In her earlier life, she worked alongside Captain Francisco Connor, and the two shared a complicated relationship built on trust, ambition, and betrayal. Their partnership ended when she took his gold and vanished, choosing peace over plunder. When he tracks her down and arrives at Cayman Brac in search of his lost fortune, Ercell’s calm world begins to crumble. The film then turns into a battle between past and present, forcing her to protect the family she loves from the life she once led.Director Frank E. Flowers places emphasis on visual scale and action rather than layered storytelling. The film offers striking images of ships in Caribbean waters, dense Caribbean jungles, hidden caves, and fight sequences. The technical aspects, including cinematography and production design, give the film a polished surface. Yet beneath that surface, the narrative feels thin. The history between Ercell and Connor is mentioned but never fully explored. Their emotional conflict could have carried more weight if the script had spent time building their past. Similarly, the tension between Connor and Bodden, Ercell’s husband, is introduced but not fully developed. These relationships had the potential to enrich the drama, but the film opts for speed over depth, moving quickly from one confrontation to another.Even with these limitations, Priyanka anchors the film with conviction. She handles the action scenes with ease and also brings warmth to family moment scenes. Her performance suggests a seasoned actor who understands both spectacle and subtlety. Karl Urban, as Captain Connor, delivers a credible performance as the antagonist, though the script does not give him enough layers to explore. Safia Oakley-Green appears in a brief role that becomes important only toward the climax. Vedanten Naidoo, playing Isaac, leaves a strong impression with his innocence and natural charm, providing emotional balance to the film’s darker moments.‘The Bluff’ follows a straightforward path of revenge and redemption. Viewers expecting a richly detailed period Caribbean saga may find the storytelling too simple and linear. Still, the film works as an action drama led by a committed central performance. The scenic backdrop and well-executed combat sequences add to its appeal. While the script could have benefited from deeper character exploration, the film succeeds in showcasing Priyanka Chopra Jonas as a capable and confident action lead, proving she can command a large-scale adventure on her own terms.
