REVIEW: Bad Man | 2025 Movie

"rough around the edges, but not without its charm."

On paper, this should be my kind of film: a small-town crime caper with swagger, grit, and a bit of banter. And to be fair, Bad Man does bring some of that — just not always consistently.

Seann William Scott leans hard into the “seen-it-all badass” role as Bobby Gaines, and honestly, he’s the reason the film holds together at all. He’s gruff, funny, and knows exactly what kind of B-movie he’s in. Chance Perdomo also pops every time he’s on screen, injecting charm and awkward humour into the chaos. Shame the female characters get short-changed — Lovi Poe has the screen presence to steal scenes, but the script doesn’t give her enough to work with.

Tonally, the film can’t quite decide what it wants to be. One moment it’s a dark Southern murder mystery, the next it’s cracking jokes with a banjo playing in the background. Sometimes that weird mash-up works; other times it kills the momentum. The third act especially throws too much at the wall, and not all of it sticks.

Verdict: A scrappy little film that’s equal parts fun and frustrating. Worth a watch if you’re in the mood for Southern grit with a wink, but don’t expect anything ground-breaking.

⭐⭐⭐

BAD MAN will be available on Digital Download from 22nd September.

FILM DETAILS

• Digital Release: 22nd September 2025

• TL;DR: In Colt Lake Tennessee, Sam Evans tackles a meth epidemic. He is sidelined on arrival of Bobby Gaines an undercover agent. Despite Evans local ties, Gaines is hailed as hero. Suspicions arise on Gaines which unravels a complex narrative.

• Director: Michael Diliberti

• Cast: Seann William Scott, Rob Riggle, Johnny Simmons, Lovi Poe, Andre Hyland and Chance Perdomo

• Genres: Thriller

• Run time: 97 Minutes

• Cert: 15