Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- gritty
- measured
- action movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film competent, accessible, and unusually restrained for its genre, while disagreeing about its action excitement, character depth, and villain quality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ryan Varrett first targets those responsible for murdering his family, then pursues criminals who avoided punishment through the justice system.
Critics specifically noted the film’s measured pacing, clear lines, and departure from flashier contemporary action filmmaking.
The central premise follows a cop who becomes a vigilante after the murder of his family.
Ryan’s vengeance expands toward criminals who have slipped through the system, making institutional failure a central motivation.
Films like Recoil, and why
Walking Tall
shared vigilante justice, revenge-driven action, and stripped-down direct-to-video toughness
Death Sentence
shared lone-avenger structure, criminal underworld targets, and gritty revenge thriller tone
Stone Cold
shared throwback action style, vigilante protagonist, and muscular crime melodrama
The Brave One
shared measured revenge narrative, criminal corruption, and hard-edged genre filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Terry Miles
- Release Date
- 2012-04-16
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (197)
Cast
- Steve Austin
- Serinda Swan
- Danny Trejo
- Lochlyn Munro
- Noel Gugliemi
- Adam Greydon Reid
- Camille Solari
- Tygh Runyan
- Keith Jardine
- Patrick Sabongui
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Cinefest Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Recoil about?
- A grieving former cop wages a blunt, hard-edged war on the killers and criminals the justice system failed to stop.
- What is Recoil like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Recoil as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Recoil violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Recoil as graphic.
- What did critics think of Recoil?
- Critics generally found the film competent, accessible, and unusually restrained for its genre, while disagreeing about its action excitement, character depth, and villain quality.
- Which films are like Recoil?
- Films with a similar feel include Walking Tall, Death Sentence, Stone Cold, and The Brave One.
- How long is Recoil?
- Recoil runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Recoil?
- In United States, Recoil streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Cinefest Amazon Channel.
