Valiant One

Valiant One is a 2025 American action thriller film directed by Steve Barnett and co-written by Eric Tipton.

Valiant One
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Steve Barnett
Screenplay by	Eric Tipton Steve Barnett
Story by	Steve Barnett Daniel Myrick
Produced by	Bernie Goldmann Steve Barnett Alan Powell
Starring	Chase Stokes Lana Condor Desmin Borges Callan Mulvey Jonathan Whitesell Daniel Jun
Cinematography	Daniel Stilling
Edited by	Andrew Leven
Music by	Benjamin Backus
Production companies	Monarch Media Goldmann Pictures Brightlight Pictures
Distributed by	Briarcliff Entertainment
Release date	January 31, 2025 (2025-01-31)
Running time	86 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1.2 million[2]

The film was released in the United States on January 31, 2025, by Briarcliff Entertainment.

Plot

A U.S. Army helicopter crew is on a routine mission near by the border between North and South Korea. The mission involves repairing a radar unit in the demilitarized zone. Due to sudden wind shears from a storm, their helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory, outside of allied airspace.

Sergeant Edward Brockman, who was initially surprised by his assignment to this mission, becomes the reluctant leader after the death of his superiors in the crash. The survivors include a mix of soldiers, including Selby, who is a medic.

With the helicopter's communications equipment destroyed, Brockman and his team have to navigate through enemy territory to escape back to South Korea, all while protecting a civilian tech specialist. They must work together under extreme pressure, facing the constant threat from North Korean forces.

The journey across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone tests their courage, teamwork, and leadership skills, highlighting themes of survival, leadership under pressure, and the human spirit's resilience in desperate situations.

Cast

• Chase Stokes as Edward Brockman
• Lana Condor as Stephanie Selby
• Desmin Borges as Josh Weaver
• Callan Mulvey as Chris Lebold
• Jonathan Whitesell as Jonah Ross
• Daniel Jun as Wilson Lee

Production

In August 2022, it was revealed that a thriller film titled Valiant One was in development, directed by Steve Barnett and co-written by Eric Tipton, with Chase Stokes cast in the lead role.^[3] In September, Lana Condor, Desmin Borges, and Callan Mulvey joined the cast.^[4] The next month, Jonathan Whitesell and Daniel Jun rounded out the cast.^[5]

Principal photography began on September 19, 2022, in Vancouver, Canada.^[4][6]

Release

In April 2024, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the distribution rights to Valiant One, scheduling it to be released in the United States on January 24, 2025.^[7] In November, the film's release date was pushed back one week to January 31, 2025.^[8]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Valiant One was released on January 31, alongside Dog Man and Companion, and made $735,099 from 1,275 theaters in its opening weekend.^[9][10]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 31% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10.^[11]