Cobra (1986)
Cobra is a gritty action-thriller directed by George P. Cosmatos and starring Sylvester Stallone as Lieutenant Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, a no-nonsense LAPD cop with a reputation for handling the city’s most dangerous criminals with brutal efficiency. Set in a crime-ridden Los Angeles, the film follows Cobra as he takes on a secretive and sadistic killer cult known as The New World, which believes in purging the weak to create a stronger society.
The story kicks off with a tense hostage situation in a grocery store, where Cobra makes a dramatic entrance and ends the standoff with his signature blend of sarcasm and firepower. This scene establishes his hard-edged persona and his disdain for bureaucracy and red tape.
Meanwhile, a string of grisly murders is rocking the city, all linked to a shadowy figure known as the Night Slasher (Brian Thompson), the enforcer of the cult. When a young fashion model, Ingrid Knudsen (Brigitte Nielsen), witnesses one of the cult’s killings, she becomes their next target. The cult’s members, some of whom are embedded within law enforcement, will stop at nothing to silence her.
Cobra is assigned to protect Ingrid, and the two develop a romantic connection as they flee the relentless attacks. Cobra’s instincts tell him this is no ordinary killer—he believes the murders are part of a larger, coordinated conspiracy, but his theories are dismissed by his superiors.
As the cult tightens its grip, Cobra defies orders and takes Ingrid on the run, leading to a high-octane series of chases, shootouts, and confrontations. Eventually, Cobra faces off with the Night Slasher in a brutal, hand-to-hand showdown inside a steel mill. The film ends with Cobra killing the cult leader and riding off with Ingrid, having dismantled the threat with his signature brand of justice.
Cobra is a quintessential 1980s action film—stylized, violent, and packed with one-liners. It blends police procedural with slasher-film tension, all anchored by Stallone’s brooding performance. The film also serves as a critique of lenient justice systems, positioning Cobra as a necessary, albeit extreme, force against unchecked violence.
