How To Watch The Sniper Movie Series In Order

Watching the Sniper movies in order is tough since the franchise has surprisingly reached 10 movies. Sniper was released in the early ’90s and paired Platoon’s Tom Berenger with Billy Zane. It saw Berenger’s veteran sniper Beckett showing the ropes to Zane’s rookie, who is terrified of making his first kill. The film received negative reviews but over time, it became a cult hit. The original is unique in that it’s largely a psychological thriller all about waiting for the perfect shot – as opposed to most action movies that focus on constant gunfire and explosions.

The Sniper movie franchise has proven shockingly robust, having run for 30 years and counting. Berenger stepped back as the lead following the third movie, with Chad Michael Collins later picking up the scope as Beckett’s estranged son Brandon. The series has veered from the serious tone of the first film to the borderline wacky action comedy of the tenth entry. There’s currently no word on an 11th Sniper film being developed, but since the franchise has a loyal fanbase, another sequel is practically guaranteed.

The Sniper Movies In Release Order

Following The Bullet: A Look At The Sniper Movie Chronology

The original Sniper is not only the sole theatrical outing in the series, it’s the only entry from the 1990s. Sniper had a strong afterlife regarding rentals and TV ratings, so Sony resurrected the property as a straight-to-DVD franchise during the early 2000s. This was when many studios were making low-budget, STV follow-ups to some of their old hits, such as The Lost Boys sequels or the American Pie Presents brand. For the Sniper films, it was nice to have a grounded, R-rated action series fronted by a great actor like Berenger, who gave the troubled Beckett a soul.

Films like
Reloaded
or
Ghost Shooter
are played very straight, while the Kaare Andrews-directed
Assassin’s End
is a colorful, anime-infused romp.

The actor was done with the property after the third film, leading to a soft reboot with Reloaded, where Collins plays Beckett’s son. Collins has stuck with the movies ever since, having appeared in seven of the ten outings to date; in contrast, Berenger has appeared in six. The Collins era has seen some wild tonal shifts too. Films like Reloaded or Ghost Shooter are played very straight, while the Kaare Andrews-directed Assassin’s End is a colorful, anime-infused romp. Berenger and Zane missed out on Rogue Mission and G.R.I.T., the most recent sequels.

Sniper (1993)

The Cat And Mouse Game Begins

Sniper may have paired two hot stars of the era in Zane and Berenger, but it was the furthest from a Lethal Weapon-style buddy action comedy it could possibly get. Instead, Berenger’s Beckett showed Zane’s Miller how to become a hardened killer, while Beckett himself had to confront the notion he has nothing in his life besides killing. Sniper is a taut two-hander, and the action is punchy and blunt when it arrives. It also established the franchise formula, where the titular character needs to bond with their new spotter to complete a dangerous mission.

The movie was directed by Luis Llosa who went on the helm the Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas action thriller The Specialist as well as the 90s creature feature Anaconda. The movie received lukewarm reviews, earning 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, some praised it as a slick and effective action thriller.

Sniper 2 (2002)

Back In Action

The second film arrived almost a decade after the original, with Zane declining to return. Instead, the very retired Beckett – whose trigger finger was sliced off during a torture scene in the original – is recruited by the CIA for a top-secret assassination in Eastern Europe. He’s also paired with a new spotter called Cole, who is one Death Row and promised a pardon if the mission succeeds.

The movie made for a modest low-budget action movie that certainly didn’t take the franchise to new heights.

Woodbine is a solid new addition to the franchise and had already appeared in movies like Life, Freeway, and The Rock before joining Sniper 2. Director Craig R. Baxley (Dark Angel) stages some solid action sequences, while the chemistry between Berenger and Woodbine helps the sequel overcome its weaknesses, such as a paper-thin story. The movie made for a modest low-budget action movie that certainly didn’t take the franchise to new heights.

Sniper 3 (2004)

Raising The Stakes

Once again, Tom Berenger was the only returning actor for the third entry in the franchise and would be his last before briefly stepping away from the role. This outing sees Beckett returning to Vietnam to confront his former best friend, who has since become a twisted drug dealer. John Doman (The Wire) steps into the role of the villain. Sniper 3 might be the weakest of the original trilogy, but Berenger still delivers his best work as Beckett.

There’s an emotional core to the third entry that keeps it interesting, even though it goes overboard with distracting, flashy edits and stylistic gimmicks. The plot also gets muddled down by too many attempts at twists and double-crosses that feel necessary. However, Berenger also gets solid support from co-stars Doman and newcomer Bryon Mann (Wu Assassins).

Sniper: Reloaded (2011)

Passing The Torch

After Berenger had led the franchise from the start, the fourth movie in the Sniper franchise had to introduce a new star to lead the story. Luckily, without Berenger, Billy Zane returned in Sniper: Reloaded to solidify the connected nature of the movies. This follows Beckett’s never-before-mentioned son chasing after the mysterious sniper who killed his squad of marines. Zane’s Miller returns to mentor the inexperienced Beckett in the art of sniping – just as the older Beckett had mentored him years before

Like most other entries in the franchise, reviews were mostly mixed, ranging toward negative. That said, fans of the series found more to like thanks to the high octane action and the addition of Chad Michael Collins as Brandon Beckett. He worked well with Zane and set the tone for what would be the future of the series going forward.

Sniper: Legacy (2014)

A New Generation Of Sniper

The only logical route for Sniper: Legacy to go was pairing Collins and Berenger together, which is exactly what happened. After stepping away from the franchise for its fourth entry, Berenger made his welcome return, this time in more of a supporting capacity. This sequel sees Brandon learning that his father has been killed by a rogue assassin, along with other high-profile targets.

The excitement over seeing the father-son action story of the Becketts together will leave many disappointed as Berenger isn’t given enough screen time to develop their relationship.

However, when he begins to see evidence his father is alive, Brandon realizes he is being lured into a trap. Like Sniper: Reloaded, the most interesting aspect of the movie is underplayed in favor of a generic action movie with Collins in the spotlight. The excitement over seeing the father-son action story of the Becketts together will leave many disappointed as Berenger isn’t given enough screen time to develop their relationship. Still, it functions as an undemanding, late-night action flick and the addition of Dennis Haysbert (24) to the franchise elevates it slightly.

Sniper: Ghost Shooter (2016)

Friendly Fire

Once again, the Sniper movie franchise shuffled around the cast when it came to its original stars. Berenger is out again as Zane returns as Miller, once again teaming up with his former mentor’s son. Miller and Brandon work side-by-side on a mission where they are tasked with guarding a pipeline from terrorists. However, when a terrorist sniper begins targeting their team too effectively, they begin to suspect there is a traitor among them.

There’s little that’s surprising or innovative about
Ghost Shooter
, but after six movies, the fanbase knows what they’re getting from the franchise by this stage.

Ghost Shooter is an improvement on Legacy both visually and in terms of action, with Ravil Isyanov being the surprise MVP as a Colonel who acts as another mentor to Beckett. There’s little that’s surprising or innovative about Ghost Shooter, but after six movies, the fanbase knows what they’re getting from the franchise by this stage. Dennis Haysbert also cements his place in the franchise with his returning role as The Colonel.

Sniper: Ultimate Kill (2017)

Unfinished Business

Nearly 25 years after the release of the original movie, Tom Berenger and Billy Zane reunite for a Sniper movie in the franchise’s seventh entry. The direct-to-video sequel finds Brandon Beckett sent on a mission to Colombia to stop a drug kingpin who is using a skilled rogue sniper to take out his enemies and secure a bigger empire for himself while his father and Miller have oversight on the operation.

Once again, the promise of the movie is a lot more exciting than what is actually delivered. As the premise suggests, Collin is once again in the lead role while Berenger and Zane have small supporting roles. Regardless of it being a letdown as a reunion between these two characters, they do get in on the action in the finale which makes for a bit of nostalgic fun. It also delivers some decent action set pieces, making it one of the better latter-day movies from the series.

Sniper: Assassin’s End (2020)

Full Circle

Despite what may have been promised with the previous movie, the Sniper movie series proceeded with its trend of only including one original star at a time. The eighth movie sees Berenger back as the older Beckett while Zane’s Miller is not included. The new adventure sees the franchise turning into a man-on-the-run thriller with Brandon being set up for the murder of a foreign dignitary. In that way, it mirrors Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg as another sniper movie character.

Sniper: Assassin’s End
is one of the pulpier entries, and has little interest in being grounded or gritty.

Assassin’s End adds some comic book flair to the franchise while introducing two new characters to the series. The story starts with Brandon being framed for an assassination, and turning to his father for help. Meanwhile, a near-silent Yazuka assassin dubbed “Lady Death” and DHS operative Zeke chase after Brandon – to kill or arrest him, respectively. Sniper: Assassin’s End is one of the pulpier entries, and has little interest in being grounded or gritty. It’s divisive among franchise devotees for that reason, but it’s a fun ride with the right mindset.

Sniper: Rogue Mission (2022)

Back To The Grind

This is the first time in the Sniper franchise that neither of the stars appears in the new adventure. Though Collins has been the lead of the movies for a while now, he officially takes the reigns from Tom Berenger and Billy Zane in this movie. However, he does get assistance from a couple of the franchise’s more recent additions. Sayaka Akimoto returns as Lady Death while Dennis Haysbert makes his third appearance as The Colonel after being absent from the last two movies.

Rogue Mission appears to have copied the homework of the recent Mission: Impossible movies, right down to the title being similar to Rogue Nation. It’s also a more overtly comedic tale, with Brandon forced to work with Lady Death against a new threat. The focus on goofy comedy and assembling a mismatched team sets this ninth adventure apart from the rest, but its wild switch of tones may grate on certain viewers.

Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team (2023)

Expanding The Universe

Following the dramatic shift in tone and direction, Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team continues down the same path in the tenth Sniper movie and the latest entry to date. Looking back on where the series began, there is very little to indicate that this movie is at all connected to the 1993 original as the sequel officially makes the series about the team, rather than Brandon Beckett alone.

It doubles down on the action-comedy tone of Rogue Mission to mixed results too. It once again feels as though it is trying to be closer to the Mission: Impossible movie with the globe-trotting adventure, but the modest budget doesn’t help with that. The sequel also recasts Lady Death with Luna Fujimoto, and the character has much more of an emotional arc than her previous two appearances, as her father is revealed as the main villain.

Which Sniper Movie Is The Best

The 1993 Original Is Still The Peak Of The Series

Despite it being a long-running action franchise, none of the Sniper movies have been met with particular critical success. However, they do deliver the kind of intense and thrilling action-adventure that fans will be looking for. In that regard, the franchise has never managed to surpass the original movie, which can still be enjoyed as a straightforward but solid action flick. As famed film critic Roger Ebert said in his review of the movie (via RogerEbert.com):

“It isn’t a particularly original film, but what it does, it does well.”

Sniper came at a great time for American action movies as the 1990s were one of the best eras in the genre. It might not stand out among some of the best action movies of the genre, but the practical and sharp approach to the filmmaking has only improved compared to more modern CGI-heavy and unfocused action movies that pour onto streaming services now. The stripped-down yet exhilarating style of the movie makes for a solid ride, which is elevated by the mentor-mentee relationship between Tom Berenger’s Beckett and Billy Zane’s Miller.

The rest of the Sniper movies may deliver on the action, but the characters are never as dynamic or compelling as Beckett and Miller are in this first entry. While their relationship also inhabits the simplistic nature of the movie, the chemistry shared by the characters on screen helps to add depth to the story. While far from a perfect film, the rest of the Sniper franchise stands on the shoulders of the original.