# The Bluff (film)
**The Bluff** is a 2026 American action-adventure film directed by Frank E. Flowers and starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Ercell "Bloody Mary" Bodden, a retired pirate in the 1846 Caribbean whose former captain, played by [Karl Urban](https://www.edgepedia.org/karl-urban), arrives on her island seeking revenge. It was released on Prime Video on February 25, 2026.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bluff_2026) • [2](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/amazon-prime-video/priyanka-chopra-jonas-and-karl-urbans-new-prime-video-movie-the-bluff-gets-a-swashbuckling-first-trailer-and-february-looks-like-itll-be-a-pirates-life-for-me)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Prime Video, February 25, 2026 (worldwide streaming)[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt14181714/credits/) |
| Director and writers | Frank E. Flowers, co-writing with Joe Ballarini[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14181714/) |
| Setting | 1846, Cayman Brac in the Caribbean, at the waning of the pirate era[5](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/the-bluff-review-film-pirate-priyanka-chopra-jonas-karl-urban-11772199550158.html?aiQuickSummary=true) |
| Lead cast | Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Ercell Bodden), Karl Urban (Captain Connor), Ismael Cruz Cordova (T.H. Bodden), Safia Oakley-Green (Elizabeth), Vedanten Naidoo (Isaac), Temuera Morrison (Quartermaster Lee)[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-bluff/umc.cmc.5y5oc9zpb1z6e6u3xyu9sy1uj) |
| Production | AGBO with Amazon MGM Studios; producers include Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/streaming-services/6-new-movies-and-shows-to-watch-this-weekend-on-netflix-prime-disney-plus-and-more-february-27-march-1/) |
| Format | R-rated, 1 hour 43 minutes; genres action, adventure, drama, history, thriller[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt14181714/credits/) |
| Reception | 56% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (54 reviews), Metascore 61, IMDb 5.8/10[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bluff_2026) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-bluff/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film opens in 1846 with on-screen text explaining that "the era of pirates on the Caribbean Sea is dying."[9](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-bluff-karl-urban-priyanka-chopra-jonas-amazon-prime-movie-review-2026) Ercell Bodden, once the feared pirate known as Bloody Mary, lives quietly on [Cayman Brac](https://www.edgepedia.org/cayman-brac) with her merchant-captain husband T.H., her son Isaac, and her sister-in-law Elizabeth.[5](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/the-bluff-review-film-pirate-priyanka-chopra-jonas-karl-urban-11772199550158.html?aiQuickSummary=true) Captain Connor, the notorious captain Ercell once served, hijacks T.H.'s ship, finds a gold bar bearing his own mark, and tracks the stolen treasure to the island, where he arrives with his crew seeking both his gold and revenge.[10](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/the-bluff-review-priyanka-chopra-jonas-prime-video/) • [2](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/amazon-prime-video/priyanka-chopra-jonas-and-karl-urbans-new-prime-video-movie-the-bluff-gets-a-swashbuckling-first-trailer-and-february-looks-like-itll-be-a-pirates-life-for-me)
When buccaneers invade her home, Ercell reveals weapons stashed around the house and fighting skills that let her hold her own, and the film becomes a cat-and-mouse battle across the island's homes, scrubland, mangroves, and caves.[11](https://www.avclub.com/the-bluff-review) • [12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/bluff-movie-review-priyanka-chopra-jonas) The title refers to the island's steep cliff, and the confrontations play out almost entirely on land rather than at sea.[5](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/the-bluff-review-film-pirate-priyanka-chopra-jonas-karl-urban-11772199550158.html?aiQuickSummary=true)
## Production
**Development and casting.** The project was first announced in 2021 with [Zoe Saldaña](https://www.edgepedia.org/zoe-saldana) set to play Ercell and Netflix distributing; Saldaña remained with the project as an executive producer alongside her sisters Cisely and Mariel Saldaña through their company Cinestar Pictures.[13](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/mortal-kombat-and-the-boys-star-is-a-killer-pirate-in-swashbuckling-action-adventure-film-from-haven-director/) • [14](https://www.esquireindia.co.in/entertainment/at-the-movies/esquire-first-look-the-bluff-a-brutal-pirate-film-that-goes-for-a-hard-r-rating) The film was developed with [Amazon MGM Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-mgm-studios) by AGBO, the production company founded by Anthony and Joe Russo, who produced it with their sister [Angela Russo-Otstot](https://www.edgepedia.org/angela-russo-otstot) and Michael Disco.[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/streaming-services/6-new-movies-and-shows-to-watch-this-weekend-on-netflix-prime-disney-plus-and-more-february-27-march-1/) • [15](https://agbo.com/about/) Flowers, a Caymanian director previously known for *Haven* and 2024's *Bob Marley: One Love*, described the film as drawing on his personal connection to the region and a desire to see Caribbean stories represented in pirate films.[13](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/mortal-kombat-and-the-boys-star-is-a-killer-pirate-in-swashbuckling-action-adventure-film-from-haven-director/) • [14](https://www.esquireindia.co.in/entertainment/at-the-movies/esquire-first-look-the-bluff-a-brutal-pirate-film-that-goes-for-a-hard-r-rating) • [16](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/pizza-film-school/episodes/how-to-make-a-pirate-blockbuster-the-bluff)
**Filming.** The movie was primarily shot in Australia, with additional scenes filmed at Skull Cave and the Bluff in Cayman Brac to establish the story's setting.[17](https://www.caymaniantimes.ky/documents/2026-02-09-17-54-41-CT1161WEB.pdf) The production used AGBO's virtual-set technology alongside a full physical location shoot in remote locations.[18](https://www.dailybloid.com/interview/frank-e-flowers-on-the-bluff--exclusive-interview-behind-the-scenes) [Henry Jackman](https://www.edgepedia.org/henry-jackman) composed the score, Greg Baldi was the cinematographer, and Lisa Lassek edited.[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt14181714/credits/)
## Reception
The film debuted to mixed-positive reviews. Within 24 hours of its February 25 release it claimed the No. 1 spot in Prime Video's top 10 most-watched list, and it remained there as the first week of March closed.[19](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/3-new-to-prime-video-movies-you-should-stream-this-weekend-march-6-8) On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 56% Tomatometer from 54 reviews and a 59% audience score; the site's critics consensus calls it "a brutally efficient yet emotionally hollow swashbuckler."[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bluff_2026) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 61, labeled generally favorable, against a mixed user score of 4.2.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-bluff/)
**Critical response.** Reviewers repeatedly compared the film to *Pirates of the Caribbean* while noting its much higher level of violence. [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club)'s Caroline Siede called it "a rollicking good time" and described it as "Die Hard on a 19th-century Caribbean island," praising Flowers's commitment to shooting each action sequence in a distinctive way.[11](https://www.avclub.com/the-bluff-review) The Guardian's Owen Myers highlighted Chopra Jonas's physical commitment and the film's gory action while criticizing the dialogue.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/bluff-movie-review-priyanka-chopra-jonas) The Livemint review by Udita Jhunjhunwala praised the visceral, up-close fight scenes and Chopra Jonas's central performance but found the screenplay predictable, calling the film a "scaled-down revenge drama" that lacks the sweep of classic seafaring adventures.[5](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/the-bluff-review-film-pirate-priyanka-chopra-jonas-karl-urban-11772199550158.html?aiQuickSummary=true) Negative reviews, such as Film Feeder's, called it "a largely dull pirate action movie" with a paint-by-numbers script.[20](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/the-boys-stars-new-swashbuckling-adventure-thriller-compared-to-pirates-of-the-caribbean-in-mixed-positive-first-reviews/) At Metacritic, the film received one ReFrame win and nomination and one Critics Choice Super Awards nomination.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-bluff/)
## References
1. [The Bluff (2026), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bluff_2026)
2. [The Bluff first trailer, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/amazon-prime-video/priyanka-chopra-jonas-and-karl-urbans-new-prime-video-movie-the-bluff-gets-a-swashbuckling-first-trailer-and-february-looks-like-itll-be-a-pirates-life-for-me)
3. [The Bluff (2026), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt14181714/credits/)
4. [The Bluff (2026), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14181714/)
5. ['The Bluff' review: A brutal, landlocked pirate drama, Mint](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/the-bluff-review-film-pirate-priyanka-chopra-jonas-karl-urban-11772199550158.html?aiQuickSummary=true)
6. [The Bluff, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-bluff/umc.cmc.5y5oc9zpb1z6e6u3xyu9sy1uj)
7. [6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/streaming-services/6-new-movies-and-shows-to-watch-this-weekend-on-netflix-prime-disney-plus-and-more-february-27-march-1/)
8. [The Bluff Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-bluff/)
9. [The Bluff review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-bluff-karl-urban-priyanka-chopra-jonas-amazon-prime-movie-review-2026)
10. ['The Bluff' Review, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/the-bluff-review-priyanka-chopra-jonas-prime-video/)
11. [The Bluff review, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/the-bluff-review)
12. [The Bluff review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/24/bluff-movie-review-priyanka-chopra-jonas)
13. [The Bluff trailer coverage, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/mortal-kombat-and-the-boys-star-is-a-killer-pirate-in-swashbuckling-action-adventure-film-from-haven-director/)
14. [Esquire First Look: The Bluff, Esquire India](https://www.esquireindia.co.in/entertainment/at-the-movies/esquire-first-look-the-bluff-a-brutal-pirate-film-that-goes-for-a-hard-r-rating)
15. [AGBO, About](https://agbo.com/about/)
16. [How to Make a Pirate Blockbuster, Pizza Film School](https://www.podscan.fm/podcasts/pizza-film-school/episodes/how-to-make-a-pirate-blockbuster-the-bluff)
17. [Caymanian Times, February 2026](https://www.caymaniantimes.ky/documents/2026-02-09-17-54-41-CT1161WEB.pdf)
18. [Frank E. Flowers on The Bluff, Dailybloid](https://www.dailybloid.com/interview/frank-e-flowers-on-the-bluff--exclusive-interview-behind-the-scenes)
19. [3 new to Prime Video movies, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/3-new-to-prime-video-movies-you-should-stream-this-weekend-march-6-8)
20. [First reviews roundup, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/the-boys-stars-new-swashbuckling-adventure-thriller-compared-to-pirates-of-the-caribbean-in-mixed-positive-first-reviews/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Adventure films › Released 2005 to 2026*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license