Sniper: No Nation sits in HBO Max's global top ten with a 4.2 on IMDb
Brace yourself: one shot, one kill — and that ruthless promise is only the beginning.
Right, if you thought the Sniper franchise had quietly been put to sleep somewhere in the noughties, surprise — it’s not only alive, but its latest entry, Sniper: No Nation, is suddenly one of the most-watched films on streaming. We’re talking HBO Max, where it's crashed onto the global top ten in a way that, frankly, the original film never managed at the cinema. If you need something loud, a bit silly, and loaded with thick-necked mercenaries this week, Sniper: No Nation is having a moment.
Sniper: No Nation is currently the sixth most-watched film on HBO Max worldwide.
From Bargain Bin to Streaming Smash
The background here is a bit of a rollercoaster. The very first Sniper, with Tom Berenger playing grunt-with-a-heart Thomas Beckett, came out in 1993 to spectacularly mediocre box office. Rather than quitting while ahead (or more accurately, behind), studios have banged out direct-to-video sequels ever since — most of them dodgier than any mission Beckett has ever endured. But somehow, that odd cult following kept showing up, so now we’re staring down Sniper: No Nation, which hasn’t just been released but is apparently proper popular on not one, but two streaming platforms: you can find it on both HBO Max and Netflix right now.
For the numbers nerds: at the time of writing, Sniper: No Nation is number six in the HBO Max global movie charts. It’s lagging behind Practical Magic (somehow), Supergirl, and that new retrospective Band of Brothers: Legacy, among others. Still, it’s outperforming a lot of actual big-budget studio films, so go figure.
B-Movie Chaos: What You’re In For
Sniper: No Nation is directed by Trevor Calverley, and, well, it's exactly what you think it is. There’s no Oscar campaign coming for this one. We get 95 minutes of bang, crash, and dialogue that could make a hardened marine blush. Berenger once more puts on the fatigues as Thomas Beckett, joined by Chad Michael Collins as Beckett’s much-abused son, Brandon. The set-up this time is GRIT — that’s ‘Global Response & Intelligence Team’, no need to Google — which is framed for some ludicrously convoluted false flag operation. With mercenaries all over the place and the fate of the free world (or at least a couple of blocks) allegedly at stake, our heroes have to shoot their way clear and, naturally, prove their innocence.
- Tom Berenger as Thomas Beckett
- Chad Michael Collins as Brandon Beckett
- Directed by Trevor Calverley
- Streaming on HBO Max and Netflix
Critical Reception: Don’t Shoot the Messenger
Now, as for whether No Nation is actually any good — that’s where things get even sillier. The critical and audience response has been, to put it kindly, hostile. If you believe in numbers as truth, then look away: the film has managed to eke out a 2.5 out of 5 on Letterboxd (not horrific, but hardly cause for celebration), while IMDb users have really let rip, dropping a 4.2 out of 10. Rotten Tomatoes hasn’t scraped together enough user reviews to even hand it a score yet, which probably says plenty. The consensus is very much ‘this is for cult completists only’ — or, perhaps, for anyone who gave up after 25 minutes.
One bemused reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes didn’t hold back, describing the film like so:
"Sniper: No Nation was a total disappointment. I made it through only about 25 minutes before giving up due to the painfully boring plot, low-quality effects, and unconvincing acting."