Fortress
"This prison has no bars."
Inside a guarded retreat built for former intelligence officers, a tight knit community discovers it has become a target. Balzary leads a ruthless crew that storms the compound, seeking revenge on Robert, a storied operative living on the premises. When the assault begins, Robert and his son Paul... Read more
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Streaming availability last verified: February 16, 2026
About Fortress
Inside a guarded retreat built for former intelligence officers, a tight knit community discovers it has become a target. Balzary leads a ruthless crew that storms the compound, seeking revenge on Robert, a storied operative living on the premises. When the assault begins, Robert and his son Paul must improvise under pressure, turning the resort into a testing ground for wits and nerve. The invaders push through security checkpoints, forcing the two generations to coordinate improvised defenses and quick decisions. As alarms blare and corridors become chokepoints, the fight for control tightens, revealing old loyalties and new tactics. Time pressure and personal risk push the characters to their limits without halting their resolve.
Directed by James Cullen Bressack, Fortress arrived in 2021 as an action thriller crafted from an original screenplay. Production is anchored by a 20 million dollar budget, with Bruce Willis headlining alongside Jesse Metcalfe and Chad Michael Murray. The film marks a contemporary entry in the director's catalog that blends confined location tension with fast paced set pieces.
Responses to Fortress skew mixed, with critics noting its brisk tempo and practical action scenes but pointing out familiar plot beats. The story centers on themes of loyalty across generations, the strain of retirement from public service, and how secure spaces are only as strong as the people guarding them. The harsh realities of pursuit and protection give the film its edge.
Fortress does not carry major award nominations. It sits outside the prestige circuits, delivering straightforward genre entertainment aimed at fans of tense heist style confrontations rather than ceremony recognition. Still, the collaboration of a veteran cast, including Willis and Murray, offers recognizable faces that support the compact, high stakes premise without promising more than it can deliver.
This title has not sparked a broad cultural conversation. There are no widely cited lines or scenes that became memes or quotes, and Fortress remains a relatively niche pick for viewers who seek contained thrillers with real world grit.
Details
- Release Date
- December 17, 2021
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Rating
- R
- User Ratings
- 362 votes
- Type
- Movie
- Genres
- Action, Thriller, Crime
- Country
- United States
- Collection
- Fortress (2021) Collection
- Studio
- EFO Films +2 more
- Budget
- $20,000,000
- Box Office
- $52,169
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Cast
Jesse Metcalfe
Paul
Bruce Willis
Robert
Chad Michael Murray
Balzary
Kelly Greyson
Kate
Ser'Darius Blain
Ulysses
Katalina Viteri
Sophia
Shannen Doherty
Dobbs
Natalie Burn
Sandra
Kaleina Cordova
Ava
Leslee Emmett
Marcia
Director: James Cullen Bressack
Written by: Alan Horsnail, Randall Emmett, Emile Hirsch