'Stand Your Ground' brings '80s-style justice back to big screen

Screen vigilantes walk a fine line between morality and justice.

Sure, we cheered when Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry took out the trash in 1971, but he broke a few rules along the way. More than a few, according to film critic Roger Ebert, who dubbed “Dirty Harry” “fascist.” Ebert wasn’t alone.

'I really believe that audiences want to see this. It’s almost like we forgot that part of film history, the '80s and the '90s. ... Suddenly, it just got washed out.'

Now, a new vigilante thriller finds its hero working within a very specific law to take out the trash.

Castle doctrine

“Stand Your Ground,” available May 27 on VOD platforms, follows a grieving widower named Jack Johnson (Daniel Stisen) who is desperate to avenge his pregnant wife's murder. He’s already served time in jail for dispatching one of the guilty thugs.

Now, the former Special Forces operative embraces his state’s “stand your ground” law to take out his wife’s killers. Spoiler alert: Step onto his property at your peril.

It’s ironic that the law in question was once referred to as the “make my day” dictum, based on Eastwood’s iconic character. The law drew fresh scrutiny following the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.

Director Fansu Njie tells Align that his uniquely American action film doesn’t take sides on a law found in 28 states across the country.

“My approach was neutral. I didn’t want to make a political film. It’s just showing one situation somewhere. That’s why we’re not talking about where it’s taking place,” Njie said of the story’s vague setting. “It becomes acceptable to watch the film anywhere in the world.”

Epic Pictures

All-American roots

The story’s all-American roots are still hard to miss. The film’s official poster poses Stisen in front of a billowing U.S. flag with the tagline “Give me liberty or give me death.”

That’s smart marketing, but the director was more interested in his perspective on a deeply American genre, once the property of Eastwood and Charles Bronson (the “Death Wish” franchise).

“As a Swedish filmmaker, it interested me to try something new that isn’t found in Europe,” Njie said. “I wanted to make an American film from my perspective ... that made it more intriguing and a little spicy so it doesn’t become a so-called normal action film in the U.S.”

'Lots of weapons'

“Stand Your Ground” doesn’t have any horses galloping across the screen, and neither the hero nor his targets sport cowboy hats. The director’s love for Westerns still bleeds into the narrative.

“I had [famed Western director] Sergio Leone in the back of my head when I made the film,” Njie said. “I wanted to explore, as a foreigner in the U.S., the same way he did as an Italian in the U.S. I liked the style. ... It’s almost made as an old Western. Lots of weapons ... that was my approach.”

Stisen lacks the name recognition of a Stallone or Schwarzenegger, but Njie hoped to capture that Reagan-era vibe throughout “Stand Your Ground.” There’s no hand-wringing while meting out justice, for example, and Stisen’s bodybuilding background came through with his burly but athletic frame.

“What I realized is that even though it’s serious action, ['80s action films] have bits and pieces of humor as well ... at least smile sometimes here and there. I tried to use the same formula,” he said.

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Arnold Jerocki: Getty Images

Veteran character actor Peter Stormare (“Fargo”), cast as the colorful villain, supplies some darkly comic moments. So does Oscar nominee Eric Roberts, an actor who increasingly lends his talents to indie films. Roberts' 2025 IMDb page features a whopping 27 film credits for 2025 ... and counting. The films mostly hail from indie filmmakers who could use the boost Roberts provides.

“He’s very easy, professional, and fast,” Njie said of working with Roberts.

Dark humor

The dark humor in "Stand Your Ground" extends to an unlikely homage to 1990’s “Home Alone.” Jack attempts to keep some home intruders at bay with his diabolical, and deadly, traps.

That no-nonsense approach appealed to Njie.

“I really believe that audiences want to see this. It’s almost like we forgot that part of film history, the '80s and the '90s. ... Suddenly, it just got washed out. I’m trying to make these kind of films that are more straight-on action. It’s a classic revenge story,” he said.

“Stand Your Ground” doesn’t hail from a major studio, but Njie embraced the indie production’s roots.

“With limitations, you become more creative,” he said, adding that the action genre offers its own unique challenges. “Working with explosions, you never know how it goes.”