Alarum starts with a familiar but workable action-thriller setup: two former spies leave the intelligence world behind, try to build a quiet life, and are pulled back into danger when a sensitive file becomes the target of several competing forces. The issue is not the premise itself, but the way the film handles it.
Instead of turning that setup into a sharp chase or a tense story about the past catching up, the film piles up agencies, names, and confrontations without giving each piece enough weight. The result is an easy-to-watch action film, but not one that leaves a strong impression.
What is Alarum trying to be?
The film wants to combine a rogue-spy story, a chase built around a dangerous file, and a marriage shaped by a shared intelligence past. Joe and Lara are not just a couple on vacation; they are trained people who know the rules of this world, only to learn that leaving it behind is almost impossible.
On paper, those pieces can support a tight thriller. An isolated location, a wanted file, rival forces, and an old operative returning to the board are classic spy-thriller tools. But Alarum uses them in a very direct way, closer to a routine VOD action film than a truly gripping espionage story.
The main problem: too much plot, not enough tension
The biggest issue is that the story feels crowded without becoming more suspenseful. The important file appears, multiple sides want it, and the chase begins, but the film rarely creates a strong sense of mystery or danger around the object everyone is fighting for.
We understand that everyone wants the same thing, but not every confrontation feels like it adds something new. At times, the conflict becomes a sequence of pursuits and fights rather than a carefully escalating thriller.
Scott Eastwood and Willa Fitzgerald
Scott Eastwood plays Joe Travers as a traditional action lead: controlled, trained, and ready for danger. He fits the type, but the role does not give him many layers beyond the idea of a former spy who cannot outrun his past.
Willa Fitzgerald gives Lara more presence in several moments, especially when the film suggests she is not simply a spouse caught in danger but someone with her own intelligence background. That idea could have made the relationship the heart of the film, but the script does not explore it deeply enough.
Sylvester Stallone’s role
Sylvester Stallone gives the film a recognizable name, but his presence does not transform the experience. His character, Chester, functions as another piece inside the intelligence game, yet the role does not become one of the film’s strongest dramatic elements.
The problem is less about Stallone himself and more about how little the film builds around him. The character supports the plot, but rarely reshapes it.
The action: direct but not memorable
The action scenes do what they need to do: chases, confrontations, and survival under pressure. But they do not offer much visual personality or standout choreography.
The film moves quickly enough to avoid feeling completely stalled, which helps. Still, it lacks a major action sequence that stays in the viewer’s memory. The action is functional, but rarely distinctive.
Is the story bad, or is it the execution?
The core idea is not bad. Two former intelligence agents hiding from their past, only for that past to return through a dangerous file and a wider conspiracy, could have made a sharper thriller.
The execution is where the film feels too familiar. The dialogue does not reveal enough about the characters, the direction does not give the setting much identity, and the escalation rarely reaches the level of real suspense.
Is Alarum worth watching?
If you want a simple action film for a quick watch, and the presence of Scott Eastwood or Sylvester Stallone is enough to interest you, Alarum may work as casual entertainment. It is easy to follow and does not ask for much concentration.
If you expect a smart spy thriller, strong character work, or memorable action, the film will likely feel underwhelming. It works best for viewers who want direct action rather than a layered espionage story.
Final verdict
Alarum has the bones of a stronger film, but it presents them in a familiar and limited way. The former-spy marriage, the wanted file, and the returning intelligence world are all useful ingredients, yet the film never turns them into something distinctive. It is fast and clear, but rarely exciting enough to stand out.