In Search of the Last Action Heroes

Oliver Harper's 2019 documentary works through 1980s American action cinema from beginning to end across nearly three hours. It runs from the genre's emergence to its collapse, and the interview list is remarkably wide: screenwriter Steven E. de Souza, actor Bill Duke, producer Boaz Davidson and dozens of others who made the period. The film's strength lies mostly with the people behind the camera rather than the stars; the accounts of stunt performers, editors and low-budget companies show how the genre actually functioned. Its weakness is form. The documentary proceeds in the standard shape, alternating archive footage and talking heads, and the length is too much for anyone who is not already a fan. It also builds no critical frame; how the genre handled race and violence goes largely unopened. Who it's for: viewers who love 1980s action cinema, genre-history documentaries and behind-the-scenes accounts. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a critical perspective, or who will find nearly three hours of chronological listing wearing.