Warning: Major spoilers for Alarum below! Sylvester Stallone’s latest action thriller, Alarum, teeters on the brink of redefining his cinematic legacy but ultimately hesitates at a critical juncture. In this film, Stallone takes on a supporting role as Chester, an assassin tasked with eliminating AWOL spy Joe, played by Scott Eastwood. Unfortunately, Alarum fails to escape the shadow of Stallone’s recent lackluster performances, even though it proves to be more engaging than his forthcoming film, Armor.
Stallone’s role in Alarum is akin to an extended cameo, yet his expertise allows him to dominate every scene. Chester’s character is particularly noteworthy as he employs a methodical approach to killing, opting for a slow-acting poison. Early in the film, he injects Joe, setting a dramatic countdown of 60 minutes before Joe succumbs to death unless he completes his mission. The film elevates the tension with this race against time, though the climactic twist reveals that Joe has covertly poisoned Chester instead.
An Anticlimactic Reprieve for Stallone’s Chester
Unexpected Salvation in the Final Moments
In a surprising twist, we discover that Eastwood’s character has swapped the poison in Chester’s vial for water and has secretly introduced the lethal substance into Chester’s vodka instead. As Chester teeters on the brink of death, he desperately pleads for the antidote, creating a moment where it seems Stallone might defy his longstanding rule against killing off his characters for the first time in nearly five decades. Instead, Joe offers the antidote, but with a catch: Chester must align himself with the rogue agency, Alarum.
This twist appears to set the stage for a potential sequel, though whether it materializes remains uncertain. The build-up seemed to signal a pivotal moment in Stallone’s career—a break from a nearly four-decade-old “no-death” policy that he has adhered to since the 1978 film, F.I.S.T.. In that film, Stallone’s character met a violent end, a decision he disagreed with. Since then, he has maintained this policy for all his roles, regardless of their prominence.
Ultimately, Alarum toys with the notion of killing Stallone’s Chester before retreating from the bold choice. Given the film’s context, such an ending would have seemed more fitting, serving as a form of poetic justice for Chester’s actions throughout the narrative.
Exploring Stallone’s Aversion to On-Screen Death
A Focus on “Hope”
The roots of Stallone’s aversion to death scenes can be traced back to the aftermath of F.I.S.T., where he sensed that his character’s demise communicated a troubling message that evil prevails. Despite contemplating dramatic farewells for characters like Rocky Balboa and Rambo, he ultimately opted against it. In his Netflix documentary, Sly, Stallone discusses his commitment to the “hope business,”suggesting that audiences feel disillusioned when their heroes meet untimely ends, irrespective of narrative justification.
The original closure of First Blood included Rambo’s death, but after a disastrous test screening, the ending was altered to allow the character to survive, highlighting Stallone’s influence on his projects. As he progresses in his career, it seems unlikely that Stallone will shift his stance on this issue. While his non-lethal rule continues to distinguish his roles, films like Daylight or Get Carter could have benefited from more consequential narratives where a character’s death would add depth to the story. Ironically, a death in Alarum would have transformed its conclusion into a significant event, solidifying Stallone’s enduring legacy.
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