Feel the Tension from the Driver’s Seat as a Car Becomes a Death Trap for Liam Neeson in ‘Retribution’

Liam Neeson has made a career out of turning impossible danger into edge-of-your-seat escapes — and we’re still not done watching. From the heart-pumping action sequences in Taken to the white-knuckle thrills in Non-Stop, Neeson has kept us hooked, and Retribution is no different. In Retribution, an ordinary drive spirals into a high-speed death trap, forcing Neeson once again to outwit disaster with seconds to spare.

Neeson plays Matt Turner, a Berlin-based investment banker whose morning school run with his two children takes a terrifying turn. A mysterious voice calls his phone to reveal that a pressure-sensitive bomb has been planted under his seat. If anyone tries to get out of the car, it will detonate. Forced to follow the stranger's escalating demands while navigating the city, Matt must keep his children calm, evade police suspicion, and figure out the caller's true motive before time runs out.

Retribution is directed by Nimród Antal (Predators, Vacancy) and is the third remake of the acclaimed 2015 Spanish film El Desconocido. Like the original, this version traps its suspense almost entirely behind the wheel, delivering a tightly claustrophobic ride. 

In an interview with Forbes, Nimród Antal acknowledged the original film but also said he made a point not to watch it to keep his version authentic: "To this day, I have not seen the Spanish or the German remake. I mean no disrespect to my colleagues, but it was all done to keep it fresh and authentic. I didn't want it to be an aftertaste. It wasn't done out of arrogance; it was just done out of simply wanting to avoid being influenced by those films."

The result is a nail-biting thriller that combines explosive action with a human story about a father pushed to his limits. Starring alongside Neeson are Noma Dumezweni, Lilly Aspell, and Jack Champion, whose performances raise the emotional stakes as the suspense builds toward a gripping climax.

With its relentless pace, confined setting, and moral dilemmas, Retribution delivers more than just action. It's a white-knuckle ride about family, trust, and the cost of survival.