Unseen Enemy

Unseen Enemy, directed by Salvatore Samperi and Mathew John Pearson, is an Australian action thriller that brings mafia-like storytelling to the big screen. The film leans heavily into its action roots, delivering a wide range of brutal and inventive fight scenes.

Levi (Salvatore Samperi) is a private investigator who, after a job gone wrong, lives on a boat in the middle of nowhere, separated from his wife and daughter, who are in witness protection. Realizing that if he’s ever going to return to a normal life, he has a huge criminal mountain to conquer.

One day, his childhood friend, Marissa (Amelia Conway), comes to him with news that her sister, Suzy (Jamaica Vaughan), is missing. Fearing the worst, Marissa believes Suzy’s disappearance may be connected to criminal activity and asks Levi for help. Levi reluctantly agrees and quickly uncovers a hornet’s nest of crime. In particular, the trail leads to a gang lieutenant named Siroos (Artom Simin). Unaware of the trouble Suzy is in, Levi takes a savage beating and, in the process, may have uncovered the path to the true crime boss who may be the key to getting his life back. But he needs Marissa’s help, which is a certain death sentence.

“Levi reluctantly agrees and quickly uncovers a hornet’s nest of crime.”

In Unseen Enemy, Salvatore Samperi crafts a complex mob story that effectively strings together a series of elaborate fight sequences. The story itself is solid for an action flick as the film succeeds in giving Samperi’s Levi a reason to step into danger and dispatch a series of henchmen, though he also takes his share of beatings along the way.

The film opens with a Silk Stockings vibe where scantily-clad women are on the menu, and a three-way gone wrong sets the tone. I’m glad Australia still believes in the concept of the damsel in distress. Ultimately, we’re here for the action. The fight styles are varied as the cast (including Samperi and Simin) employ disciplines including Taekwondo, Silat, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Judo, and did I mention ninjas? The fight sequences are reminiscent of the action movies of my youth. Quick edits, deceptive camera angles, and classic slow-motion to make us feel each brutal impact. You have no idea how much I appreciate low-budget action. It all looks dangerous, in a safe kind of way.

Unseen Enemy is a reminder of what made classic action movies so addictive decades ago—sexy ladies, ruthless underworld villains, and fights that leave a mark after you walk out of the theater. It’s a throwback to when action films weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, proving there’s still plenty of room for old-school brawling, keeping a whole industry of stunt fighters employed.