The Retaliators is a 2021 American thriller / action horror film released by Better Noise Films starring Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca, and Joseph Gatt which debuted at Arrow FrightFest London.[1] The film also features appearances by musicians Tommy Lee, Jacoby Shaddix, Zoltan Bathory, and The HU.[2] The Retaliators now has a global theatrical release on September 14, 2022 after playing at global film festivals. The film follows a father named John Bishop (Michael Lombardi) whose daughter is brutally murdered and he seeks vengeance for her death, while also finding out about the dark underworld she was involved in.[3]

The Retaliators
Poster
Directed by	Samuel Gonzalez Jr. Bridget Smith Michael Lombardi
Screenplay by	Darren Geare Jeff Allen Geare
Produced by	Allen Kovac Michael Lombardi Michael Walsh
Starring	Michael Lombardi Marc Menchaca Joseph Gatt Katie Kelly Jacoby Shaddix Zoltan Bathory Ivan Moody Spencer Charnas
Cinematography	Joseph Hennigan
Edited by	Randy Bricker
Music by	Kyle Dixon Michael Stein
Production company	Better Noise Films
Release dates	August 30, 2021 (2021-08-30) (London) September 14, 2022 (2022-09-14)
Country	United States

Synopsis

An upstanding pastor uncovers a dark and twisted underworld as he searches for answers surrounding his daughter's brutal murder.[4]

Cast

• Michael Lombardi as Bishop
• Marc Menchaca as Jed
• Joseph Gatt as Ram Kady
• Katie Kelly as Sarah
• Abbey Hafer as Rebecca Bishop
• Jacoby Shaddix as Quinn Brady[5][6]
• Ivan Moody as Vic[6]
• Zoltan Bathory as Fang[6]
• Chris Kael as Decker[6]
• Tommy Lee as Strip Club DJ[5][6]
• Craig Mabbitt as Arlo Garcia[6]
• Brian O'Halloran as Obnoxious Guy at XMas Tree Place
• Gigi Gustin as Cynthia
• Spencer Charnas as Max[6]

Production

With a female Director, Bridget Smith of 'Sno Babies'[7] and Samuel Gonzalez Jr., The Retaliators started shooting in 2020, production then continued as the COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.

The finished post production with Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein to score the sound track.[8]

Music

The theme song for the movie "The Retaliators 21 Bullets" was written by Nikki Sixx and James Michael[9] and was released on August 5, 2022 as a lead track of the movie with the track featuring Mötley Crüe, Asking Alexandria, Ice Nine Kills and From Ashes to New ahead of the sound track release on September 16, 2022. [10]

Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, who stars as Quinn Brady in the film, announced to Allison Haggendorf of Spotify that their song 'The Ending' will feature in the soundtrack. “When I heard about this film last year, I spoke to the creative team and I felt I had a vehicle to see if I could expand my range as an artist. Truly, I couldn’t have imagined how much I enjoyed this experience and can’t wait to find another film in the future”[11]

Release

The Retaliators had its world premier on August 30, 2021 at the FrightFest film festival in London, England, UK.[12] The film made its American debut with a full red carpet event on October 12, 2021 at Screamfest film festival held in Los Angeles, California.[13] The film was released world wide on September 14, 2022.[14]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 29 reviews and a weighted average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "It may not offer much they haven't seen before, but strong-stomached exploitation enthusiasts will savor The Retaliators."[15] On Metacritic, it was given a score of 48 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".[16]

Music videos

Extracts of The Realiators film footage have already appeared in music videos that have been pre-announcing the film.

References

External links

• Official website
• Official Better Noise Films Site
• The Retaliators at IMDb