'Affinity' (2025) Movie Review

Marko Zaror’s DNA is all over the movie Affinity. And not just because, at one point, he says, “Here’s your DNA, motherfucker,” then flings his own blood all over a dude’s face. He’s a producer, the creative team features many of his frequent collaborators (for example, Fist of the Condor director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza edited the movie), he has a story-by credit and a screenwriting credit, and he’s the fight/action director. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, he’s also the star. The fights are, as expected in his capable hands, excellent, Zaror has the chance to do some different things, acting wise, and there’s a big, wild swing at the end that I don’t think entirely lands, and that is kind of nonsense, but that I freaking love. All in an 80-minute package.

 

Zaror plays Bruno, a former military operator nursing a nasty case of PTSD in Thailand, where he’s watched over by his BFF and boss, Joe (Louis Mandylor, As Good as Dead), and ride-or-die homie, Fitch (Brooke Ence, Wonder Woman). When manic pixie dream amnesiac Athena (Jane Miro) shows up on his doorstep, he takes her in, cares for her, and they fall in love. We know how this goes. She has a past. It catches up with her. Bruno and pals take on an endless wave of masked henchmen and underworld scumfucks of all stripes to get her back.

 

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Affinity is oddly paced; it’s unusual but works. It begins with two fights, not uncommon for this type of film. First, a tactical action set piece where we learn Bruno’s trauma. Next, we see him dealing/not dealing with said trauma, and he winds up in a cell after a bar room brawl. The next half hour is an odd mix of cranked-up melodrama and chill hang out movie. Bruno and Athena bond and form a connection as two wounded people who find healing in one another. Joe doesn’t trust her at first, but she wins him over. There are multiple smile-filled montages and group photos and warm vibes all around. 

 

Bruno offers Zaror the chance to play the dramatic, romantic lead, which is unusual for him, but he does a solid job. He has a quiet, aww shucks charisma and the film wisely sticks close to that. It’s especially different considering he’s had a few roles recently where he plays gleefully unhinged weirdos. Zaror and Mandylor have wonderful chemistry, and their macho banter that hides deep, earnest affection is sweet and adorable as all hell. Everyone needs a down-ass friend like Fitch. At the drop of a hat, no questions asked, without a moment of hesitation, she’s ready to leap into action. Athena, however, is just a blank, a nothing. Some of that seems likely to be intentional given late-in-the-game reveals, maybe, but even then, she’s mostly a void.

 

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If you’re watching a Marko Zaror movie, odds are, you tuned in for the action. While the first chunk is heavily mood-based, the back half is for fighting. There are fist fights, sword fights, gun fights, machete fights, club fights, all the best kinds of fights. This is Zaror’s bread and butter, so you better believe they deliver. Diablocinematographer Niccolo de la Fere shoots these tussles with wide, sweeping shots that clearly show badasses doing badass things. It's elaborate and acrobatic, mixing weapons and styles—at one point there’s a spinning back flip into a rear naked choke combo that’s nuts. Brahim Chab, the fight coordinator for Monkey Man, Fight or Flight, and more, shows up as Krieger, the primary antagonist, and he and Zaror have a handful of top-tier throwdowns. 

 

The music also adds a nice layer to the proceedings. Synth-heavy and propulsive, it walks somewhere between John Carpenter—his solo albums, not necessarily his score work—and Cliff Martinez, particularly what he does in Drive and Only God Forgives. It moves things along and sets a certain tone and expectation.

 

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Now to the big reveal. I won’t say much about it, though the logline on IMDb gives it away. You may notice this is billed as an action/sci-fi thriller, and if you watch with that in mind, some things might occur to you, even though the film is basically a straightforward street-level actioner. Until the last ten or 15 minutes. You may say to yourself, “They’re not really going to go there, are they?” And then they do. In some cases, maybe even subsequent viewings, this choice might evoke groans and eyerolls, but I find it hilarious and was greatly entertained.

 

Not everyone is going to jibe with Affinity like I do. It seems an unlikely ask for most people not well-versed in DTV action cinema. Still, I had a fine time. Marko Zaror gets to stretch a little as a performer, there’s chill hanging out with Bruno and Joe, and off-the-wall choices. And, of course, excellent action executed by people who know what they’re doing, all in an 80-minute package. It’s quick, to the point, and delivers what it promises. [Grade: B]