Following her plane being shot down by cartel goons, Dominique (Oksana Orlan) kicks the ass of the wannabe looters (and one particularly abhorrent henchman who gets appallingly hands-on when he thinks she’s dead!) Dominique makes it into the local town San Lucas, where she instantly hooks up with Julio (Sebastian Carvajal), who works for the corrupt local police and looks after his widowed sister (Maria del Rosario) and her children. With the cartel looking for the person who slain their men and danger getting closer, Dominique must fight for her – and her friend’s – lives.

Thrill-packed and not as predictable as many of its type, director (and co-writer) Michael S. Ojeda’s film is often startlingly brutal and a must-see for action fans. Orlan is commanding as the hard-as-nails hero who manages to give the character a heart despite the tough exterior. Dominique stands on its own feet in a genre saturated with cookie-cutter thrillers. Ojeda’s decision to keep the locals’ original language rather than go for full English is bold and adds a greater sense of realism. This approach also comes into play in the startling, unpredictable climactic shoot-out, which takes no prisoners.

DOMINIQUE is available on digital platforms now.