Frank Grillo dies painfully and frequently in the first trailer for Boss Level. Directed by Joe Carnahan, with Carnahan and Chris and Eddie Borey co-writing the script, Boss Level centers around the character of Roy Pulver (Grillo). A retired special forces soldier, Roy attempts to escape a never-ending time loop which unfailingly results in his death.
Set to be available on Hulu as of March 5, the movie also stars Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts and Michelle Yeoh. The project was first announced in 2012, with a different title, and it has undergone shifts and delays since then. But now, audiences are getting a glimpse of Boss Level ahead of its debut.
In the new trailer, Grillo’s character is introduced in a state of flux that’s familiar in the resurgent time loop narratives: He’s lost hope, all too willing to live out the same day as lethargically as possible. However, when he receives an unexpected piece of information, Roy ultimately finds a new sense of urgency and quickly learns to fight back against more than a few foes. Along the way, of course, Roy will experience his fair share of deaths. You can check out some of those deaths in the trailer, from ONE Media, below.
Boss Level looks to join the spate of well-received time loop stories in recent years. Arguably starting with the unexpected success of Happy Death Day, and continuing on for Palm Springs and the Netflix series Russian Doll, the premise popularized by Groundhog Day in the early 1990s is having a bit of a moment. Carnahan’s movie will look to apply that template to a sort of cheesy, high-octane thrills of a largely bygone era. The sneak peek makes no secret of this, announcing its presence with a loud soundtrack and an ostentatious font. Bringing together the character development and cleverness of time loops, along with the quick pacing of an action saga, Boss Level looks poised to have a little something for everyone.
Grillo may prove to be an inspired choice for the lead role in his own right, tweaking the persona he’s built up over the years. The actor has made a name for himself thanks to portraying the strong and relatively silent types. Whether he’s a good guy, such as when he appears in The Purge franchise, or when he’s the villainous Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Grillo has a knack for selling the idea that he’s unstoppable. Boss Level will take that idea to the extreme when it premieres on Hulu, as his protagonist literally can’t stay dead no matter how many times he’s killed off.
Source: ONE Media