Hot Seat (2022) Review

Mel Gibson makes an explosive return to save Kevin Dillon’s ass….Literally!

Directed by: James Cullen Bressack

Starring: Mel Gibson, Kevin Dillon, Shannen Doherty

Synopsis: Gibson stars as Wallace Reed, a veteran bomb squad officer racing to save Orlando Friar (Kevin Dillon, Entourage), an IT technician taken hostage by a faceless terrorist mastermind. Orlando must empty Wall Street bank accounts or else the bomb installed into his chair will detonate, vaporizing his entire building. With SWAT teams storming Orlando’s building, Reed must race against the clock to save him before it’s too late. Hot Seat also stars Shannen Doherty (BH90210) and Sam Asghari (Dollface).

Review: Director James Cullen Bressack teams up with action legend Mel Gibson and comedy film regular turned B-action movie star Kevin Dillon for the tense thriller, Hot Seat.

Kevin Dillion leads as Orlando Friar an I.T. technician who is called in on his day off which also happens to be his daughters birthday. Orlando is a man who’s trying to keep his family together but over working and not being around has caused a huge rift in his relationship with his daughter and significantly impacted his relationship with his wife, so much as before he leaves to go to work he is handed divorce papers. Little does he know, his day is going to get much worse.

When Orlando arrives at work it’s not long before his computer is hacked and he is told that his char is wired to explode should he attempt to leave. The sinister cyber-terrorist wants Orlando to hack into the financial system of the company he works for. This is where we learn more about the character of Orlando and his past. Is this someone out to settle an old score or someone just looking for a fall guy while they steal millions from the company?!

Mel Gibson co-stars as ageing bomb squad expert Wallace Reed who along with his partner Jackson (Eddie Steeples) are already investigating a bomb destination when they are called in by the police chief played head strong by Shannen Doherty.

Hot Seat is a tense thriller that forces the best out of the cast and creates a claustrophobic atmosphere. It’s clear to see Kevin Dillion is enjoying his time making these action/thrillers and Mel Gibson delivers a solid performance,as always.

Director James Cullen Bressack is still showing us he has a lot to give to the action genre and us can’t of the DTV movies. Having worked with screen legends Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis and now Mel Gibson, Bressack is showcasing that he knows how to utilise these big stars and showcase them in their rightful light. Sorry horror fans you’re not getting Bressack back anytime soon!

Overall, Hot Seat is an explosive thrill ride that will have you glued to your seat.

Available at Amazon, DVD: https://amzn.to/3NNTtEk