Rating: ***
Review Date: 9/20/25
Cast: Dave Bautista, Olga Kurylenko, Samuel L. Jackson, Eden Epstein,
Kristofer Hivju
A dire vision of Trump's America and another reminder of why we need to constantly keep up the fight against those like him. A massive solar flare triggers an apocalypse and the world spirals into chaos as millions die from starvation, disease, and war. Jake (Dave Bautista) is an expert treasure hunter, or as King August (Samuel L. Jackson) likes to call him, a "motherfucker of cultural appropriation." He makes Jake an offer he can't refuse, which involves sneaking into France and stealing something precious before the vicious warlord Volkov (Kristofer Hivju) can get his hands on it. His contact in the French resistance is Drea (Olga Kurylenko), and together they have their hands full trying to stay ahead of tanks, trucks, Volkov's goons, cannibals, and whatever else gets thrown in their way.
It's a unapologetically stupid action film that's highlighted by some well-paced stunt work and some delightful vehicular mayhem. Both Dave Bautista and Olga Kurylenko are charming and likable lead characters, and their dialog flows naturally. Ms. Kurylenko looks fantastic and it's great to see her in a substantial part with a decent budget for a change. She has one excellent fight scene that's arguably the highlight of the film, but based on her previous work, I wouldn't be surprised if she was doubled for that. The vehicle stunts are a lot of fun and are reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. Gunplay is surprisingly bloody and bullets literally rip people apart, ensuring the film's R rating. While having Airborne on the soundtrack is inappropriate and out of place, it still made me smile, and a very sexy Eden Epstein provides some additional eye candy. Overall, I found "Afterburn" to be an enjoyable piece of mindless post-apocalyptic action fluff, the likes of which I haven't seen in a very long time.