Sniper
"One Shot. One Kill. No Exceptions."
In the humid Panamanian jungle, a hard edged U.S. soldier named Thomas Beckett hunts rebels with a sniper's patient accuracy. His record is built on missions that cost him teammates, a reputation that shadows every new assignment. This time Beckett is paired with another sharpshooter, Richard... Read more
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About Sniper
In the humid Panamanian jungle, a hard edged U.S. soldier named Thomas Beckett hunts rebels with a sniper's patient accuracy. His record is built on missions that cost him teammates, a reputation that shadows every new assignment. This time Beckett is paired with another sharpshooter, Richard Miller, a calm and capable marksman whose presence adds a tense counterbalance to Beckett's ruthless pragmatism. As the duo stalks through the tangled brush, they face hidden traps, shifting loyalties, and the uneasy chemistry that comes with working side by side under pressure. The mission tests their skill, nerves, and the limits of trust when every shot could change everything. Behind the gruff exterior Beckett hides fatigue and loss that shape every move.
Directed by Luis Llosa, Sniper arrived in 1993 with a screenplay by Crash Leyland and Michael Frost Beckner, pairing Tom Berenger and Billy Zane for a lean action drama grounded in military realism and practical effects.
The film grossed approximately 18.99 million worldwide, a modest tally that still underlined its appeal to fans of tense buddy sniper stories and mid-90s military thrillers, particularly those who appreciated Berenger's weathered toughness.
Critics treated Sniper as a spare, efficiency minded thriller that relies on atmosphere and character texture rather than flashy set pieces. The film probes the moral toll of frontier warfare, the fragility of trust, and how loyalty holds when lives are on the line. The pacing favors economy over excess, keeping the action grounded in consequence.
In the landscape of 90s action films, Sniper is remembered as a solid but not iconic entry that helped cement Tom Berenger's rugged tough guy persona and fed into the later Sniper franchise's appeal. It stands as a competent example of the era's military thrillers and a reminder that buddy dynamics can drive tense fire fights.
Details
- Release Date
- January 29, 1993
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Rating
- R
- User Ratings
- 452 votes
- Type
- Movie
- Genres
- Action, Drama, Thriller
- Country
- PE
- Collection
- Sniper Collection
- Studio
- TriStar Pictures +3 more
- Box Office
- $18,994,652
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Cast
Tom Berenger
Thomas Beckett
Billy Zane
Richard Miller
J. T. Walsh
Beckett's Senior Officer
Aden Young
Doug Papich
Kenneth Radley
El Cirujano
Reynaldo Arenas
Cacique
Gary Swanson
NSC Officer in Washington
Hank Garrett
Admiral in Washington
Frederick Miragliotta
Alvarez
Vanessa Steele
Mrs. Alvarez
Director: Luis Llosa
Written by: Michael Frost Beckner, Crash Leyland