Jessica McNamee

In Mortal Kombat II (2026), Jessica McNamee’s Sonya Blade gets her scene and is then parked while the tournament moves on. It is a frustrating use of an actor whose physical credibility and no-nonsense manner ought to make her useful throughout an action film. We were bored by the repeated fights in the same arena, then annoyed that the characters had so little to connect them. McNamee is one of several performers given too little to do between the bouts, and we cannot recommend the film for her alone.

The shift from Sammy Rafter in Packed to the Rafters (2008–2013) to Sonya in Mortal Kombat (2021) brought her physical skills to the foreground. Her film work had already taken in The Loved Ones (2010), The Vow (2012) and a supporting part in Battle of the Sexes (2017). As Sonya, she makes a capable, no-nonsense woman credible in a male-dominated ensemble. That is a useful strength, though it also invites scripts to assume that competence is all the character needs.

Nor would we send someone to The Meg (2018) to discover her work. Her role is Lori, another supporting assignment, while the film’s pleasures rest chiefly with Jason Statham’s company and the shark’s occasional tense encounters. The flat dialogue and unconvincing drama make it a poor introduction to an actor. Those weaknesses should not be mistaken for evidence that McNamee cannot do more; neither should her presence excuse them.

For Sonya, McNamee has used martial-arts instruction and studied the movement of big cats, looking for the watchfulness of an animal on alert. Director Simon McQuoid has worked with her twice; we would like that continuing collaboration to give her more to play between the fights. We still need a substantial part before making larger claims for her. A smaller action ensemble, with time for her to make decisions as well as throw punches, would be a sensible place to start.