Most soldiers hope their service will keep violence and danger away from their homeland and families. Usually, that is why they sign-up in the first place. When tragedy finds their loved ones anyway, they might feel like they failed, but it is more likely that we failed them. Andrew Coleman (Echo 1) was already burdened with guilt stemming from the death of several comrades in Afghanistan. His daughter’s premature demise from poison-laced drugs pushes him over the edge. However, the illicit gang responsible gives Coleman a target and an outlet for his rage. He cannot fight the entire organization by himself, but Echo 2, 3, and 4 loyally rally behind him in James Clarke & Daniel Shepherd’s Sunray: Fallen Soldier, produced by and starring former Royal Marine Commandos, which is now available on VOD.
When Coleman returned home, he carried the unfortunate events of his tour back with him. Inevitably, it affected his relationships with his soon-to-be ex-wife Elaine and their teen daughter Rachel, even though both women recognize and understand he still struggles with unresolved trauma. Even with a troubled father, Elaine is a pretty good kid, but when mean girls successfully peer-pressure her into trying coke, her mistake turns fatal.
Frankly, her boyfriend Cassius is considerably broken-up over it as well, but he left her alone, with a bad element. He should have known better, because that is his world. As the son of Lucian, a long-reigning druglord, he was directly involved in supplying the drugs. Consequently, Coleman wants Cassius dead—and he is willing to work his way up the organizational flow chart to get to him. He starts off wielding nail guns and hammers, but when his vendetta gets messy, his old teammates, Smudge, Sledge, and Harper (Echo 2-4), bail him out and help upgrade his hardware.
Sunray is a throwback to old school vet-turned-vigilante movies, represented by the likes of the Robert Ginty Exterminator films. Frankly, this film is so gritty it sometimes feels like sandpaper on your eyeballs. Yet, the directness of the action scenes is undeniably effective.
The same is true for 29-year Royal Marine veteran Tip Cullen, who broods like a house on fire as Coleman. You would be hard-pressed to find a more grizzled or gristly actor, but that gives him instant credibility in Sunray. Tom Leigh, Luke Solomon, and Steven Blades, fellow veterans all, have equal cred walking the walk and talking the talk, as Echo 2, 3, and 4. With Cullen they nicely create a sense of the fellowship that comes from serving together.
Unfortunately, the screenplay credited to Clarke, Shepherd, and Sam Seeley, undermines all their good grindhouse work with a twist ending that just doesn’t land. Frankly, it is the same that comes at the end of Angus Benfield & Kendall Bryant Jr.’s The Keeper, where it was incredibly poignant, but it makes absolutely no sense in the context of Sunray.
Still, if you are in the mood for cathartic payback, Sunray delivers plenty. It is not pretty, but it is certainly mission-focused. Recommended for fans of violent low-budget revenge movies, Sunray: Fallen Soldier is now available on VOD.