Sniper 3

Thomas Beckett struggles to reintegrate into the U.S. Marine Corps after the events of Sniper 2. His commanding officer questions whether his age and stubbornness make him fit for active duty, setting up a tense return to service. The sense of personal conflict foreshadows the mission that will redefine his career.

Beckett attends the wedding of Neil Finnegan, the son of his Vietnam-era friend Paul Finnegan. He reads a letter Paul wrote before his presumed death and later dances with Paul's widow, Sydney. Sydney's X-ray reveals Beckett's nerve damage in his trigger finger, prompting retirement and hinting that he should ask her on a date.

Two CIA officials inform Beckett that Finnegan did not die in Vietnam and has become a drug and weapons trafficker known as the 'King Cobra.' They explain that Finnegan is the head of the snake whose elimination would destabilize the network. Beckett agrees to take the job, insisting he do it alone.

Beckett travels to Ho Chi Minh City to meet Quan, a Vietnamese police operative recruited by the NSA. He insists on carrying out the mission by himself, avoiding involvement from Sydney or Neil. The weight of the task underscores the personal nature of his past with Finnegan.

Beckett attempts to shoot Finnegan as he enjoys a drink at Club Cong, but a counter-sniper opens fire. Beckett kills the counter-sniper but is arrested by Vietnamese authorities. Finnegan remains at large, keeping his operation alive for the moment.

Finnegan detonates a police station explosion to cover his escape, allowing Beckett to break free from custody. Beckett resumes the pursuit, determined to uncover the truth behind the operation. Quan becomes an essential ally in the dangerous chase.

Beckett and Quan track Finnegan into the underground tunnels known as the ditch near Tây Ninh. The pair defend themselves from ambush as they advance, and the claustrophobic labyrinth becomes the crucible for the mission’s darkest revelations.

In the tunnels, Finnegan is forced to confront Beckett and reveals the brutal CIA-backed past: he, Avery, John Gaylor, and photographer Stevie York carried out killings of nine unarmed civilians while under the influence of drugs. York filmed the atrocities before being killed and the film destroyed to cover it up. Beckett realizes the extent of the conspiracy surrounding his mission.

Quan is forced to fight one of Finnegan's top lieutenants in hand-to-hand combat to protect Beckett. Beckett supports Quan from behind enemy lines as they push toward the truth. The personal risk for Quan underscores the bond forming between the two men.

Beckett executes a calculated misfire that brings Finnegan's operation to a halt. By shooting one of Paul's child soldiers in the hand, an involuntary jerk triggers a fatal sequence that results in Paul Finnegan being shot in the head instead of Quan, and Finnegan's militia surrenders.

With Finnegan defeated, Quan arranges Beckett's exfiltration across the border into Cambodia. Beckett is shaken and disillusioned by the mission's truth, recognizing the personal cost of his years of service. He begins to confront what retirement might mean for him.

In the aftermath, a radio report reveals that Senator John Gaylor has resigned his seat and Avery is found dead in an apparent suicide. The CIA's involvement is exposed, leaving Beckett to grapple with the price of truth and the loss of his makeshift family.