# Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino in a holy mess

> A Luc Besson-produced action flick so out of time it feels like a 1990s script pulled from a drawer.
- Title: Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino in a holy mess | Shortify
- Summary: A Luc Besson-produced action flick so out of time it feels like a 1990s script pulled from a drawer. Father Joe plays like a forgotten 90s Besson script…
- Keywords: film review, luc besson, al pacino, kiefer sutherland, action movies, Kiefer, Sutherland, Pacino, holy, mess, The Hollywood Reporter
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/father-joe-review-kiefer-sutherland-al-pacino-luc-besson-1236697260
- Author: Jordan Mintzer
- Published: 2026-09-11T18:16:04+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: film review, luc besson, al pacino, kiefer sutherland, action movies
## A bargain bin action flick
Father Joe is the latest Luc Besson-produced action movie, and the review files it under bargain bin from the first paragraph.

> the latest Luc Besson-produced bargain bin action flick
## Why did they say yes
The first question the movie raises is what Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino were thinking when they signed on.

> What the hell, forgive me father, I meant what the heck, were Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino thinking
## What year is this
The second question is when the film is set. Nothing on screen agrees with anything else.

> When is the movie supposed to be taking place?
## Cars from one decade
The cars all look like they rolled off a late 70s or 80s lot, setting one timeline in the viewer's head.

> The cars all seem to be from the late '70s or '80s
## Tech from another
Then desktop PCs and old Nokia phones show up, which pushes the best guess to sometime in the 1990s.

> there are desktop PCs and old Nokia cell phones
## A script from the drawer
The 90s were Besson's peak, with La Femme Nikita and The Professional. The reviewer suspects he wrote this then, shelved it, and revived it for money.

> stuffed it in a drawer, and then for reasons that are most likely financial, decided to resurrect it
## Key takeaway

Father Joe plays like a forgotten 90s Besson script dusted off for a paycheck, and the confusion starts with why Pacino and Sutherland said yes.