The Tournament

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Overview

Every seven years, in an unsuspecting town, The Tournament takes place. A battle royale between 30 of the world's deadliest assassins. The last man standing receives the $10,000,000 cash prize and the title of World's No. 1 Assassin, which itself carries the legendary million dollar-a-bullet price tag.

Media

The Tournament - Official Trailer

Cast

Ian Somerhalder

Liam Cunningham

Director:

Scott Mann

Writer:

Jonathan Frank, Gary Young, Nick Rowntree

Release Date:

2009-05-01

Run Time:

95m

Tagline:

Every 10 years, the world's greatest assassins gather... Only one will survive.

Genres:

Action Horror Thriller

Keywords:

assassin battle royale combat competition death game explosion fight fistfight martial arts prize survival tournament

Financials and Popularity

Budget: 8,000,000.00$

Revenue: Not Declared

Vote Average: 6.0/10

Vote Count: 674 Votes

Movie Popularity: 2.3981

Spoken Languages: English, French

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 11:50 pm

7 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10 THE SUMMARYEvery seven years, in an unsuspecting town, "The Tournament" takes place: a battle royale between 30 of the world’s deadliest assassins. The last one standing gets $10 million and the title of "World’s No. 1." The 2009 round is set in Middlesbrough, England, where the local CCTV network is hijacked by a group of high-stakes billionaires who bet on the carnage like a bloodthirsty fantasy football league. Things get messy when a depressed, alcoholic priest, Father MacAvoy (Robert Carlyle), accidentally swallows an explosive tracking device intended for a killer, forcing him into a lethal partnership with a conscience-stricken assassin named Lai Lai Zhen (Kelly Hu). THE PROSFor a movie with a modest budget, the action is a "Guaranteed Banger." It’s a relentless, high-octane flick that features some surprisingly creative set pieces, including a double-decker bus chase and parkour-infused fights thanks to Sébastien Foucan. The cast is way better than this "straight-to-DVD" premise deserves; Ving Rhames brings his usual gravitas as a revenge-driven former champ, and Ian Somerhalder is absolutely unhinged as the Texan psycho Miles Slade, chewing more scenery than a woodchipper. It’s a "Masterpiece" of mindless entertainment that understands exactly what it is—a gory, loud, and unapologetic shoot-em-up. THE CONSThe plot is thinner than a piece of trace paper and borrows heavily from Battle Royale and The Condemned. It’s a 7/10 because it relies on a lot of "Action Movie Physics" and some pretty glaring leaps in logic. The CGI blood can look a bit dated and "video-gamey" in certain scenes, and the transition of Father MacAvoy from a "man of God" to a guy surviving an assassin war happens a bit too conveniently. It lacks the polish of a 9/10 classic like John Wick, often feeling like a Tony Scott movie that's been put through a blender on high speed. THE VERDICTA 7/10. It’s "The Business" if you want a gritty, British-flavored action flick that doesn't ask much of your brain. It’s a cult favorite for a reason—it’s fast, mean, and features Robert Carlyle playing a priest who is having the worst Tuesday in history. It won't change your life, but it'll definitely keep you awake for 90 minutes. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA The movie was famously set in Middlesbrough, but a large portion of it was actually filmed in Bulgaria to save money—though they did shoot on location in Northern England for that authentic "grey sky" vibe. Also, this was the directorial debut of Scott Mann, who later went on to direct the 2022 hit Fall. Fun fact: Scott Adkins, one of the biggest action stars in the world today, has a supporting role as a Russian assassin, and many fans still argue he was "underutilized" despite having one of the best fights in the film against Kelly Hu. THE VIBE Like a pint of lager and a kebab in a rain-soaked alleyway. It’s a bit rough around the edges, maybe a little salty, but it hits the spot perfectly when you’re in the mood for something simple and satisfying.

Videos

The Tournament - Official Trailer

Cast

Ian Somerhalder

Liam Cunningham

Sébastien Foucan

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The Tournament

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The Tournament

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 12:50 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10
THE SUMMARY
Every seven years, in an unsuspecting town, “The Tournament” takes place: a battle royale between 30 of the world’s deadliest assassins. The last one standing gets $10 million and the title of “World’s No. 1.” The 2009 round is set in Middlesbrough, England, where the local CCTV network is hijacked by a group of high-stakes billionaires who bet on the carnage like a bloodthirsty fantasy football league. Things get messy when a depressed, alcoholic priest, Father MacAvoy (Robert Carlyle), accidentally swallows an explosive tracking device intended for a killer, forcing him into a lethal partnership with a conscience-stricken assassin named Lai Lai Zhen (Kelly Hu).
THE PROS
For a movie with a modest budget, the action is a “Guaranteed Banger.” It’s a relentless, high-octane flick that features some surprisingly creative set pieces, including a double-decker bus chase and parkour-infused fights thanks to Sébastien Foucan. The cast is way better than this “straight-to-DVD” premise deserves; Ving Rhames brings his usual gravitas as a revenge-driven former champ, and Ian Somerhalder is absolutely unhinged as the Texan psycho Miles Slade, chewing more scenery than a woodchipper. It’s a “Masterpiece” of mindless entertainment that understands exactly what it is—a gory, loud, and unapologetic shoot-em-up.
THE CONS
The plot is thinner than a piece of trace paper and borrows heavily from Battle Royale and The Condemned. It’s a 7/10 because it relies on a lot of “Action Movie Physics” and some pretty glaring leaps in logic. The CGI blood can look a bit dated and “video-gamey” in certain scenes, and the transition of Father MacAvoy from a “man of God” to a guy surviving an assassin war happens a bit too conveniently. It lacks the polish of a 9/10 classic like John Wick, often feeling like a Tony Scott movie that’s been put through a blender on high speed.
THE VERDICT
A 7/10. It’s “The Business” if you want a gritty, British-flavored action flick that doesn’t ask much of your brain. It’s a cult favorite for a reason—it’s fast, mean, and features Robert Carlyle playing a priest who is having the worst Tuesday in history. It won’t change your life, but it’ll definitely keep you awake for 90 minutes.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
The movie was famously set in Middlesbrough, but a large portion of it was actually filmed in Bulgaria to save money—though they did shoot on location in Northern England for that authentic “grey sky” vibe. Also, this was the directorial debut of Scott Mann, who later went on to direct the 2022 hit Fall. Fun fact: Scott Adkins, one of the biggest action stars in the world today, has a supporting role as a Russian assassin, and many fans still argue he was “underutilized” despite having one of the best fights in the film against Kelly Hu.
THE VIBE
Like a pint of lager and a kebab in a rain-soaked alleyway. It’s a bit rough around the edges, maybe a little salty, but it hits the spot perfectly when you’re in the mood for something simple and satisfying.

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