Counterattack (2025)

Movie · 2025 · Action, Adventure, Thriller · 1h 25m · R · Spanish

Curator score: 1.7/10 (19.3K ratings)

Overview

When a hostage rescue mission creates a new enemy, Capt. Guerrero and his elite soldiers must face an ambush by a criminal group.

Ratings

Director

Chava Cartas

Production

Draco Films

Cast

Luis Alberti, Noé Hernández, Leonardo Alonso, Luis Curiel, Guillermo Nava, David Calderón León, Mayra Batalla, Israel Islas, Ishbel Bautista, Frida Jiser, Mario Alberto Monroy, Alberto Ornelas, Pedro Joaquín, Edgar Novoa, Guillermo Quintanilla, Sergio Jurado Molina, Luz Ramos, Roberta Burns, Alejandra Herrera, José Luis Enriquez Serna

Where to watch

Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

Curator Review

Verdict

A lean, tactical action thriller that mostly wins on momentum, location work, and committed performances rather than originality. If you want a brisk military-vs-cartel siege movie with solid stunts and a straightforward setup, it delivers; if you need depth, surprise, or a less formulaic take on the genre, it may feel generic.

Best for

  • fans of compact, no-frills action movies
  • viewers who like military or special-ops scenarios
  • people looking for a fast-paced thriller with practical stunts
  • audiences interested in contemporary Mexican genre cinema

Skip if

  • you want complex plotting or major twists
  • you are tired of cartel-action formulas
  • you prefer character-driven drama over firefights
  • you dislike propaganda-adjacent military framing

Overview

Counterattack is built like a pressure cooker: a rescue mission goes wrong, an ambush follows, and the movie keeps tightening the screws. It’s not trying to reinvent the action thriller, but it does aim for efficiency, with a short runtime, clear stakes, and a steady stream of tactical set pieces.

Worth noting

What stands out most is the physicality. The action is staged with enough clarity to make the geography readable, and the cast sells the camaraderie and fatigue of men trapped in a bad situation. That human texture helps the film rise above pure noise, even when the story itself stays familiar.

Bottom line

The tradeoff is obvious: this is a familiar military-versus-cartel framework, and the movie doesn’t push very far beyond that template. For viewers in the mood for a straightforward, well-made genre piece, that may be enough. For everyone else, it’s competent more than essential.

Top Letterboxd reviews

jhane (3.5★) · 254 likes

my shayla (pollo) 💔😔💔😔

Brandon Carreon (4★) · 168 likes

Contraataque es sorpresivamente una gran pelicula de acción ¡hecha en mexico!, con un enfoque en acción tactica/militar muy bien filmada, con buenos stunts y hasta con tomas de drones. Su mejor virtud es que es una pelicula corta y simple, que va al grano en su historia de militares vs narcos. La dirección es muy sobresaliente y las actuaciónes son muy buenas, destacando a Luis Alberti y Noe Hernandez. Mi aspecto favorito ademas de la accíon seria los personajes y como interactuan, se sienten muy genuinos y humanos.

julianortiz1 (4★) · 160 likes

Los verdaderos cabrones Pobre pollo le jodieron sus papos

XanderSpringael (3.5★) · 118 likes

You just know he put those crocs in sports mode

OMAR (2.5★) · 113 likes

si van a hacer propaganda militar que al menos sea con Luis Miguel cantando La incondicional 2025 RANKED

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Topics

action thriller, military action, cartel violence, siege, tactical combat, fast-paced, gritty, contemporary, Mexican cinema, survival

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