Netflix subscribers may already be familiar with the streamer’s latest action-packed outing Counterstrike. The Spanish-language film, which was shot entirely in Mexico, released at the end of February, quickly receiving rave reviews. As you can tell from the initial trailers for the movie, Counterstrike centers on a gang of five special forces soldiers who become the target of a ruthless cartel leader and his army of sicario mercenaries. Led by Captain Guerrero, the five friends must shoot, blast and punch their way out of danger, all while doing their best to protect the lives of civilians who may be caught in the crossfire. Since Counterstrike is such a hit with international audiences, now seems like as good a time as any to dive directly into the narrative, unpack the climactic ending and see what we can learn from the film’s chaotic conclusion. Be advised that there will be spoilers ahead.
Since the narrative of Counterstrike seems quite genuine, you may be wondering if the movie is based on true events. In reality, the story is just a fictional account of one special ops military outfit taking down a cartel gang. The tale is very grounded, and likely takes inspiration from several real gunfights South of the border. Even still, the characters, events and conclusion of Counterstrike are not based on any one actual thing. Cartel violence is infamous across the U.S.-Mexico border, and systemic corruption has actually seen police and government officials on cartel payroll historically speaking. Counterstrike exists primarily to entertain viewers, though if the film brings awareness to these societal pitfalls, that’s an added bonus.
What Happens in ‘Counterstrike’?
As stated, Counterstrike opens on a military Captain named Guerrero, as he enjoys an average day out on the town. While stepping out of a local business, he encounters a gang of thugs harassing a pair of women, and a platoon of police officers refusing to step in. Though Guerrero’s friends warn him not to engage, he refuses to stand by as civilians are harmed and comes to the rescue of the unarmed women. At first, Guerrero is surprised to see the police spring into action, eager to assist the gang members, but he quickly comes to learn that they are all on the payroll of a mysterious crime lord named Josefo Urias. As the possibility of a large-scale shootout nears its tipping point, the police realize that Guerrero is a special ops soldier, and command the gang bangers to lower their weapons.
Having saved the two women, Guerrero learns more about Josefo’s operation and discovers that the cartel boss was responsible for wiping out an entire rural town nearby. Josefo apparently dumped the bodies of the villagers in a large unmarked grave, and tortured investigators who came looking for answers. Eventually, the criminal greased all of the necessary palms at the local government, allowing him to escape without consequence. This heinous crime leaves Guerrero with a burning desire to take Josefo down, while Josefo conversely becomes obsessed with killing Guerrero for interfering with his business.
Josefo’s Counterstrike
Once Josefo learns that Guerrero and his men are with the special forces, he surmises that an upfront assault simply won’t work. Instead, he hires a team of powerful mercenaries to ambush the men and strike when they least expect it. Using a mole from inside Guerrero’s unit, Josefo begins compiling intel on the soldiers’ schedule and whereabouts. Unbeknownst to the criminal, Guerrero was doing the same on the other side of town, by attacking one of his high-ranking advisors and using him to extract information on the cartel. During the weekend, Guerrero and his men celebrate their successful mission by kicking back with a few beers. As they toast to a job well done, Josefo’s men, led by his own brother Roman, mount their counterstrike, ambushing the team on the road.
Luckily, Guerrero and his peers are well-trained and exceptionally skilled in combat and easily dispatch Roman’s road warriors in an action-packed cinematic sequence. As Roman succumbs to his injuries, he whips a grenade at the special ops unit, though even that isn’t enough to catch Guerrero’s men off guard. Sometime later, Guerrero and his men have fled into the woods, awaiting further retaliation, as Josefo comes across his brother’s dead body. Enraged, he throws his carefully coordinated plans to the side and announces his intention to kill Guerrero and his peers in cold blood, no matter what it takes.
Things Heat up at the Safe House
As Guerrero and his crew venture through the woods, they eventually stumble upon one of Josefo’s safe houses, where his men are torturing the very same women from the opening scene. Despite Guerrero and the others suffering from exhaustion and a few injuries, they decide to save the women and take down the safe house. Once inside, they even find a few first aid supplies and stitch themselves back up while waiting for Josefo’s reinforcements. During their brief respite, Guerrero also reveals that he took Roman’s phone, and uses it to find out the identity of the cartel’s informant. He learns that his commanding officer’s office has been compromised, as the secretary has been feeding cartel leaders classified information in exchange for cash.
Just when the men start to feel safe, Josefo finally arrives, bringing a veritable army of mercenaries in tow. From there, the cartel boss lets loose a barrage of hellfire so powerful that it all but knocks the safe house walls loose from their foundation. Guerrero and crew take heavy fire and agree to conserve their bullets when possible. The two women, having been freed from capture, even agree to take up arms and offer some coverage from inside the building. One of Guerrero’s men, Lieutenant Tanque, catches a group of Josefo’s killers entering the safe house from a hidden trapdoor, and heroically sacrifices himself to take them out with a grenade. By the time the dust settles, all of Josefo’s men are slain, leaving just the cartel leader behind to face the music.
The Final Showdown
As Counterstrike comes to a close, Guerrero and his surviving pals emerge from the safe house with the two rescued women. Josefo takes one last shot, killing the team’s resident sniper, Pollo. Needless to say, this loss infuriates Guerrero and leaves him unable to accept Josefo’s unconditional surrender. Rather than arresting him and taking him back to base, Guerrero extends Josefo an offer: defend himself in a one-on-one fistfight to the death, or face immediate execution. Once again, Josefo displays a lack of honor and dignity, attempting to rush his opponent with a blade. Luckily, Guerrero is too skilled in combat, even in his weakened, battle-worn state. He easily dispatches Josefo, takes the knife from his hands and places him in a chokehold.
Just when it seems like Guerrero is going to make the killing blow, he relents, explaining that a quick death would be too good for the ruthless criminal. Instead, he radios headquarters and agrees to take Josefo in alive after all. With any luck, this means that Josefo will be tried for his many crimes in the near future, and thrown in prison for the rest of his days. Of course, we’ve seen enough corruption during the narrative of Counterstrike to know that he may have a chance to wriggle free from the jaws of justice. This leaves the film open for a possible sequel, though no additional installments have been announced at this time. In the end, Counterstrike is a thrilling tale of traditional good vs evil, which ends with a satisfying high-stakes shootout.
