Being based on the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie, we weren’t expecting much from the new Road House on Amazon Prime. Like the original, it has fun fight sequences, shot in a way that brings us to the bar itself, and it’s amusing to see actual MMA fighter Conor McGregor acting as an antagonist. However, this adaptation rewrites the main character to be a former UFC fighter, turning the story into something more akin to an outsider cowboy Western rather than a bouncer action drama. It’s not outright terrible, but it just feels uneven, and the cast performances can’t make up for the thinly written characters. It also just doesn’t feel like Road House.

The action sequences aren’t bad– they don’t shy away from the blood and the way the camera moves in some of them make you feel like you’re actually being punched by characters– but this Road House just doesn’t capture the lifestyle of a bouncer. The bar is empty, the music isn’t as groovy, and it looks more sad compared to the original. Part of it could be due to the bar culture being in decline, with more and more clubs closing down, but the film doesn’t even have the appreciation for this culture to make it feel like it’s worth fighting for.