Prime Video’s R-Rated Pirate Thriller Redefines the Style

The Bluff is altering the face of pirate films.

Directed by Frank E. Flowers and written by Flowers and Joe Ballarini, the swashbuckling motion thriller stars Karl City as Captain Connor, a pirate searching for revenge in opposition to the one one who betrayed him, Ercell Bodden, performed by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. A former pirate now dwelling on a distant island, Ercell will do something to guard her household and their lifestyle, even when meaning killing a couple of individuals alongside the best way.

ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan spoke to the movie’s stars at The Bluff premiere in Los Angeles final week, the place they shared how Amazon Prime’s new R-rated pirate thriller is re-defining the style.

Safia Oakley-Inexperienced: I believe it is as a result of they’re monumental. It is like, seashores, it is the ocean — every part’s so intense. The climate is so intense. And everybody’s actually passionate, as a result of they’re combating for one thing that they actually consider in, after which it is actually gory, and it is also actually sizzling, ‘trigger everybody’s kissing and stuff. It is all the weather that make a terrific film, rammed collectively into this lovely form of factor that is a pirate film. I do not suppose we have got sufficient of them, to be sincere.

Actually, Safia Oakely-Inexperienced, who performs Elizabeth Bodden, Ercell’s sister-in-law, within the movie, not solely thinks there must be extra pirate movies, however extra pirate movies with ladies on the middle. Campaigning for a sequel, Oakley-Inexperienced instructed ScreenRant she would “love that to be the case.”

It might be so enjoyable to look at Ercell and Lizzie, develop and alter, and Vedanten [Naidoo], and see what adventures they go on subsequent, and what else they conquer. I believe pirate films with ladies on the middle — it is one thing we’d like proper now, so let’s make extra of them.

The feminine-led movie, which sees Chopra-Jonas on the helm, is the right steadiness of high-octane motion and grit, with Temuera Morrison, who performs Quartier-maitre Lee, telling ScreenRant that the Heads of State actress had that “X-factor,” that made her the right match to play Ercell.

Temuera Morrison: I used to be additionally so impressed with Priyanka, simply how gritty she was, as a result of she was very bodily. I used to be there on set numerous instances [where] she went dwelling battered and bruised. She’s acquired a beautiful, great digital camera presence—a type of X-factors, I believe you name it, when the digital camera likes you. And man, when she appears at you, she has a variety of energy, a variety of depth, a variety of soul there. So I used to be blessed to get a glimmer every so often.

As for the way Chopra-Jonas channeled that grit, she instructed SR on the premiere that she did not should look far to attract inspiration, with the mom of 1 turning inside — and to a couple of motion’s different main women — to assist painting the scorned pirate.

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas: Tom Raider was one in all them for me. I believe Uma Thurman in Kill Invoice was a giant inspiration for me, for this film. I actually considered, “What would a dad or mum do? How far would a dad or mum go to guard their household?” And, I believe that simply introduced me to Kill Invoice, the bride, who was additionally on a vengeance/revenge journey as a result of her dream was destroyed. I felt the identical: you are coming to destroy my dream, which is my island, and my life, and my household.

It is a sentiment Ismael Cruz Córdova, who performs Ercell’s husband, T.H. Bodden, within the movie, could not have agreed extra with.

These larger-than-life characters—yeah, it is a style and whatnot—however the best way that she performs it, and since she performs it and since she performs it in that approach, it is nonetheless grounded in actuality. So, it is nonetheless very believable. It is nonetheless one thing that basically does encourage you. It impressed me, as an actor, watching her do all of that, and the way she behaved on set as properly. However it’s rooted in that ferociousness of a mom, as properly. There isn’t any, “Oh, mama bear.” And I might by no means get in between a mom and her youngsters, if it was a mom like that. If it is a mom like that? Nah.

Every thing Else The Bluff Solid & Workforce Has Stated About The Gritty Pirate Thriller

ScreenRant: So, the primary time you set in your pirate costume, or anytime you might have it on, what’s the very first thing you do? What cannot you assist however do within the costume?

Karl City: You understand what? We have been blessed. We had such a terrific costume designer on this, and you set that costume on, and you’ll’t assist however really feel formidable, and also you wish to draw that sword and exit and do some swashbuckling.

ScreenRant: Inform me about simply getting into this film. I imply, everybody loves a pirate journey, so what was it about this, simply stepping on set, that you simply have been like, “I wish to play with this. I wish to be on this?”

Ismael Cruz Córdova: I imply, it truly is a type of issues that everybody needs to do. So when it got here, it was a gorgeous provide. I mentioned, “Sure,” too fast, apparently. My crew was like, “However did you learn the e-mail?” I used to be like, “It is a pirate film with Priyanka Chopra and Karl City. What do I have to learn?” It was so thrilling, and it acquired much more thrilling when Frank E. [Flowers] defined the place all of it started. Right here is that this style that we’re all the time speaking about and seeing, however the historic actuality of the very fact, like, “Oh, what occurred to the individuals the pirates form of stunned and stole from? The place are their tales?” And that is the place this story begins, and what he did and the way he wrote it — however he kept away from making it a movie that is heavy. You see all of it, however it nonetheless strikes, it is nonetheless a pirate movie, and it has nearly essentially the most excellent lead that you could possibly ever have for this. It’s the present that retains on giving, by way of efficiency. You don’t anticipate how gritty it will get, how a lot stronger it will get, and the way ferocious he’s. And all of that can also be behind the scenes. It lifted everyone up.

ScreenRant: The primary time you walked on a set. I imply, what a enjoyable journey to dive into.

Safia Oakley-Inexperienced: Oh my gosh, this set, the manufacturing design on this film, is out of this world. I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. There have been total villages constructed. There’s a complete cave system constructed, and I knew as quickly as I walked on and noticed that, I used to be like, “Okay, we imply critical enterprise.” I imply, it makes the performances so a lot better, since you’re free to roam and do no matter you need and decide issues up, and also you open a drawer and there is stuff in it. It’s so fantastically and amazingly thought out, and it was actually wonderful to be part of.

ScreenRant: I like that you simply do love letters to your own home [The Cayman Islands] and The Bluff is one in all them. Inform me concerning the inspiration and why you needed to make this film.

Frank E. Flowers: It was nice to have the ability to simply paint on a canvas that nobody had ever seen earlier than. This can be a interval in time that is not your typical pirate film, a location that is not your typical pirate film. And so, for us, it really added to the depth and the distinctive nature of the film we have been attempting to make. It was a cultural love letter, however once more, it is also like, “Do not come for my household, do not come for my individuals, do not come for my island.” And so we have been capable of mix these two issues and make one thing that was, I believe, fairly distinctive and visceral and uncooked.

Try extra of our The Bluff protection right here:

Launch Date

February 25, 2026

Runtime

101 Minutes

Director

Frank E. Flowers

Writers

Frank E. Flowers, Joe Ballarini