War films are a genre that many people are fascinated by, with the desire of trying to understand how people deal with such terrifying circumstances while also bringing in an element of entertainment. While there are underrated or hidden gems in every film genre, there are also some pretty terrible movies that can glamourise some truly horrible events, too.
Collider did a deep dive on this and created a list of the 18 worst war movies. Sniper: Special Ops made the top spot on the list of worst war films this time.
Released in 2016 and directed by Fred Olen Ray, the film stars Steven Seagal. The story follows Sergeant Jake Chandler, played by Under Siege star Steven, an expert sniper who joins Sergeant Vic Mosby, played by Tim Abell, on a mission to extract an American Congressman who is being held by the Taliban in a remote Afghanistan village. At first, the rescue mission is a success until a firefight breaks out, causing some of the squad members to get separated from the rest of the group.
The film’s synopsis reads: “When the mission to rescue a U.S. Congressman who has been kidnapped by the Taliban goes sideways, army sniper Jake Chandler and his partner are left behind. Now, on their own, they must survive in enemy territory and wait for their unit to come back for them.”
The cast also includes Rob Van Dam, Charlene Amoia and Jason-Shane Scott. Steven, who is best known for his long list of action film credits, spends most of the film sitting down, mumbling and occasionally shooting people, giving a hugely disinterested and static lead performance.
The film’s release was met with negative reviews. With a dismal 15% Rotten Tomatoes rating, one reviewer wrote: “One of the worst movies I have ever seen and has ever been made.”
Other reviewers described Sniper: Special Ops as tedious and shallow, and manages to make a story about rescuing an American congressman from the Taliban feel boring and entirely lacking in energy.
If you want to experience it yourself, the film is available to purchase on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Sky Store.