Self Defense

This is a perfectly serviceable action thriller. There’s really not much to say about it. During a police strike, a militant hate group attacks a gay bar and, in the process, kills almost all the patrons. One gets away, hides in an apartment building, and thus, the titular event is on. A trigger warning does need to be mentioned for the language of the hate group: they are VERY homophobic, and use plenty of uncouth language. But on the plus side, at no point does the movie try to redeem any of them. They’re all despicable and stay that way. It would get a slightly higher score if not for the slow final act. The gang is taken out sooner than you expect, so the last act is the leader of the gang (who looks like the love child of Leonard Nimoy and Chuck Conners) trying to avenge their deaths. This final cat and mouse sequence has all the urgency of a Sunday afternoon nap, and ends very suddenly. But even if the energy hadn’t flagged in the last 20 minutes, it still wouldn’t top ***1/2. It’s a movie with a low ceiling. It’s never gonna be someone’s favorite movie, but it’s perfectly watchable.