Alarum (film)
| Alarum | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Polish |
| Written by | Alexander Vesha |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jayson Crothers |
| Edited by | Paul Buhl |
| Music by | Yagmur Kaplan |
Production company | Convergence Entertainment Group |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $254,370[2] |
Alarum is a 2025 American action crime thriller film directed by Michael Polish and starring Scott Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Willa Fitzgerald, Mike Colter, Ísis Valverde, and Joel Cohen. In this film, Joe and Lara who were once rivals, fall in love during a mission and decide to go rogue to get married. They manage to escape their respective agencies and establish a quiet life, but their peace is shattered when a plane crash near their cabin reveals a hard drive that several organizations want.
Alarum was released in the United States in select theaters and on video on demand on January 17, 2025.
Plot
In 2019, CIA spy Archibald falls in love with rival spy Lara during a mission in Prague and decides to leave the organization and marry her. They successfully escape their respective organizations and join the mysterious organization "Alarum," which aims to overthrow the tyranny of the global intelligence network; Archibald adopts the name Joe. Five years later, during their honeymoon, Lara secretly monitors Roland Rousseau, a businessman who had laundered money for arms dealers. One morning, a light aircraft belonging to the Alarm crashes near their vacation home. Joe finds a USB drive that appears to be from the DEA, but Orlin, an agent of the Yellowjacket organization, attacks for the drive. Orlin kills Roland's wife, Bridgette.[3]
CIA Director Burbridge sends an Arbiter named Chester to steal the USB drive and execute Joe. Orlin leads a large group of Russian mercenaries to hunt down Joe and Lara; Joe temporarily teams up with Chester to fight the mercenaries, while Lara tells Roland to hide and then face the mercenaries who have taken over the resort alone. To be on the safe side, Chester secretly injected Joe with poison, giving him only an hour to live. Chester discovered that Joe always had a USB drive, so he took it and left, leaving Joe alone to face Orlin. Orlin accepted Joe's suggestion to temporarily cease hostilities.
Burbridge decides to send two drones to wipe out Joe, Lara, and Orlin. After Joe and Orlin shoot down one of the drones, Orlin attempts to kill Joe, but Lara appears in time and shoots him dead. At dawn, Joe and the injured Lara are by the lake when Chester arrives. Chester discovers he has drunk poisoned vodka, tricked by Joe, and proposes an alliance to help them wipe out Burbridge and their enemies. Joe agrees and gives him the antidote, after which an Alarum helicopter arrives to pick them up.
Cast
- Scott Eastwood as Agent Joe Travers / Archibald
- Sylvester Stallone as Agent Chester
- Willa Fitzgerald as Agent Lara Travers
- Mike Colter as Orlin
- Ísis Valverde as Bridgette Rousseau
- Joel Cohen as Roland Rousseau[3]
- D. W. Moffett as Director Burbridge
- Mark Polish as CIA Agent Kirby
- Abigail Spear as Poppy
- Anton Narinsky as Krol
- La Monde Byrd as Splinter
Production
The film was awarded $5,863,392 from the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program on February 13, 2024.[4][5]
Principal photography began on February 26 in Oxford, Ohio at Hueston Woods State Park,[6] and wrapped on May 14.[7]
In May 2024, it was announced that Signature Entertainment acquired U.K. and Irish distribution rights to the film.[8]
Release
Theatrical
Alarum was released in the United States in select theaters and on video on demand on January 17, 2025.[9]
Reception
Box office
As of September 24, 2025, Alarum grossed $254,370 in the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Colombia, and Russia.[2]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 22 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Alarum is nothing less than a lackluster spy thriller with uninspired performances, pedestrian action, and a convoluted but banal plot."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 23 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[11]
Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com awarded the film one star out of four.[12] On The Guardian, Leslie Felperin awarded the film one star out of five, writing that "a film so bad it shames American cinema itself. And it wasn’t even made in Hollywood!"[13]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Raspberry Awards | March 14, 2026 | Worst Actor | Scott Eastwood | Nominated | [14] |
| Worst Supporting Actor | Sylvester Stallone | Nominated | |||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Isis Valverde | Nominated |
References
- ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (January 16, 2025). "'Alarum' Review: Mission Forgettable". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Alarum (2025)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Cotter, Padraig (January 17, 2025). "Alarum Ending Explained: What's On The Flash Drive & How It Sets Up A Sequel". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
- ^ Kiesewetter, John (February 22, 2024). "Sylvester Stallone movie arriving in Oxford with a bang". WVXU. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Naquin, Talia (February 23, 2024). "Details on Sylvester Stallone movie filming in Ohio". Yahoo! News. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Filming underway for Sylvester Stallone movie in Ohio". WHIO-TV. February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (May 14, 2024). "'Alarum:' Shooting Wraps On Action Pic Starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood & Willa Fitzgerald, Highland Film Group Launches Sales". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (May 17, 2024). "Sylvester Stallone Action Thriller 'Alarum' Acquired by Signature for U.K. (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ McPherson, Chris (December 11, 2024). "'Tulsa King's Sylvester Stallone Prepares For a Siege With a 'Reacher' Star in Explosive 'Alarum' Trailer [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "Alarum". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
- ^ "Alarum". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ Sobczynski, Peter (January 17, 2025). "Alarum". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (September 23, 2025). "Alarum". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
- ^ Zee, Michaela (January 21, 2026). "Razzie Nominations 2026: 'Snow White' and Ice Cube's 'War of the Worlds' Lead with Six Nods, The Weeknd is Worst Actor Contender". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2026.