Reed is not concerned with politics or the state of the world. He lost interest after his father died under Saunders’ command, while apprehending a terrorist in Somalia. However, everyone else on Laughton University’s campus seems to be mega-political. The loudest are the Palestinianists, who have occupied the quad, forcing the annual carnival to set up in the parking lot instead. There are dissenters, like his roommate, P.J., who uses the GI Bill to pay his tuition, but never saw combat during his service.
Reed’s crush and potential girlfriend, Lizzy Dupree, might be another exception. Her friends sound woke, but she asks Reed to attend Saunders’ upcoming speaker appearance with her. Naturally, that is exactly when Ibrahim Asad Melod decides to strike. He has a personal grudge against Saunders. However, his plans are bigger than mere revenge. Initially, he launches a Mumbai-style terrorist attack, but he hopes to force his captives to convert and use them as fodder for his envisioned caliphate.
Communications are jammed, explosive drones are flying, and snipers are ensconced in the bell-tower. As a further setback, a gunshot sidelines Saunders. However, the good guys have some things going for them. He might be a blowhard, but at least P.J. had weapons training. As a scholarship track athlete, Reed is fleet of foot. Like many security guards, Terrence Kirk lacks an athletic physique, but his key card allows access to every building on campus.
So, yes, Infidels generally follows a Die Hard-on-a college-campus playbook, but it adds a layer of reality, in the form of Islamist terrorists, for extra added novelty. The two-hour-plus running time should have been somewhat condensed, but the action scenes are realistically executed. The stakes are high and the characters are far from invulnerable.
The cancel chorus will never forgive Jonathan Majors, but his credible and commanding turn as Capt. Saunders could be the start of a comeback for him. JC Kilcoyne and Tyler Aser have appealing chemistry as Reed and Dupree, while David Lucas helps lighten the mood as the wisecracking Kirk. In fact, all the performances are professional grade—and then some.
