Underplayed Gems

Prisoner of War (2025)

Prisoner of War poster
Directed by
Louis Mandylor
Genre
action film, war film, thriller film
Country
United States
Rated
NR
Rating
7.1 of 10 from 195 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A British RAF officer is captured by Japanese forces during World War II and sent to a harsh POW camp in the Philippines. Forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat matches for his captors' entertainment, he uses his martial arts skills to rally fellow prisoners and plan an escape.

tensebrutalaction-packedharrowinggrittysuspensefulinspirationalfast-paced

What happens

Prisoner of War (formerly titled Death March) is a 2025 martial arts war film directed by Louis Mandylor and written by Marc Clebanoff, based on a story by Scott Adkins. The film features Adkins alongside Peter Shinkoda, Donald Cerrone, Michael Copon, and Gabbi Garcia. Produced by Odyssey Motion Pictures and distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment, it combines martial arts action with a World War II prisoner-of-war narrative. It premiered at the Beverly Hills Film Festival in April 2025 and had a limited theatrical and digital release in the United States on September 19, 2025. Set during the Battle of Bataan, the plot centers on British RAF officer Wing Commander James Wright (Adkins), who is captured by Japanese forces and confined to a harsh POW camp in the Philippines. There, Wright is forced into hand-to-hand combat matches for his captors’ amusement. Using his prior martial arts training, he motivates resistance among fellow prisoners while devising a bold escape plan. The film received mixed to positive critical feedback, with praise for Adkins’s performance and the fight choreography, though the narrative depth and supporting characters faced criticism. Reviewers highlighted its fusion of war epic and martial arts elements, with some calling it a raw, visceral take on the genre. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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