Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Two veterans of the Bosnian War, one American, one Serbian, clash in the remote Smoky Mountain wilderness.
Killing Season is a fairly formulaic cat-and-mouse survival thriller that squanders its intriguing premise of two war veterans settling old scores in the wilderness. The plot is thin and predictable, relying heavily on genre conventions without much depth. De Niro and Travolta, despite their star power, deliver underwhelming performances — Travolta's Serbian accent is particularly notorious and distracting. The Smoky Mountain wilderness setting provides some decent visual texture, giving cinematography a modest edge above the other categories. The concept of examining Bosnian War guilt through a personal duel has potential novelty, but the execution is too generic and action-oriented to capitalize on it. The ending offers little resolution or emotional payoff, leaving the film feeling hollow overall.