Condor's Nest (2023)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Nazi Hunting

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

This violence-filled postwar revenge story has a snap to it, like there's a definite confidence and assured playfulness behind the camera; the story surprises, zigging whenever you expect it to zag.

It's the end of WWII and airman Will Spalding (Jacob Keohane) is part of a crew whose plane is shot down during an attack on Germany. Stationed in the attic of a nearby house, Will watches as SS officer Colonel Martin Bach (Arnold Vosloo) shoots down the rest of his crew. Nine years later, in Argentina, Will has turned to vengeance. He captures every German he can find, questions them about Bach's whereabouts, and kills them.

As fate would have it, he meets Albert Vogel (Al Pagano), an outcast scientist with knowledge of the atom bomb. Vogel needs to get to Russia, and his passage there lies in Bolivia — where Bach is residing in a compound called the Condor's Nest. Will agrees to help Vogel get there in exchange for Bach's exact location. But an Israeli freedom fighter, Leyna Rahn (Corinne Britti), refuses to let Vogel get away. Plus there are other surprises in store for the trio, at the Condor's Nest.

Condor's Nest does feel rather shallow and a bit like a "B" movie, especially with good ol' Michael Ironside turning up in a small but potent role. And yet it deftly manages to discuss the true, grim nature of war. "That's different… we're the good guys," says Will at one point, and Vogel points out that those killed by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs would disagree. And Bach's dialogue during his climactic encounter with Will is equally gray-tinged.

Viewers may not be able to keep themselves from thinking of Quentin Tarantino's subversive Inglourious Basterds, although on a smaller scale. Yet Condor's Nest neatly echoes the energy of early, low-budget efforts by the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi. Its left-field tone may put off many viewers, but others may tune into it and discover a small, potential cult classic.