Netflix has crowned its latest hit action movie as The Shadow Strays (2024) debuted at the top of the global movie chart. The new movie from director Timo Tjahjanto is the latest in a long line of under the radar action movies that have completely dominated Netflix’s streaming charts as soon as they arrive on the platform. This has not been exclusive to new movies either, as several decades-old movies such as Jason Statham’s The Mechanic have also found huge success in recent months.
The Shadow Strays is one of a handful of movies to be hailed as the best action movie of the year, joining the likes of Rebel Ridge, which scored an incredible debut earlier in the year and seemed to spark an endless list of action movies finding their way into the top half of the movie chart week after week. This martial arts spectacle certainly doesn’t hold back on its brutal action sequences, and its place in the No.1 spot seems to be more than justified by its strong reviews.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have scored the movie 85% on the site’s Tomatometer, with many praising Tjahjanto’s “blood-soaked action thriller” for its relentless thrill ride, even if some have found it to be a little on the long side at 2 hours and 24 minutes. That doesn’t seem to have been a problem for the many subscribers that have streamed the film and sent it straight to the top of the chart, overtaking previous chart-topper Lonely Planet, a romantic drama starring Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth.
Action Movies Streaming on Netflix
While Netflix has one of the most diverse and expansive catalogs in streaming, their biggest recent hits have all fallen squarely in the action genre. The Netflix original Rebel Ridge came from nowhere to be one of the biggest movies of the year for the streamer, and elevated the career of star Aaron Pierre, who will be joining James Gunn’s DCU Lanterns series in the role of John Stewart.
Other surprising action movies taking out the competition with ease at Netflix include the critically panned 2007 video game adaptation of Hitman, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence sequel Bad Boys:: Ride or Die, Denzel Washington and Mark Walhberg’s 2014 movie 2 Guns, and Jason Statham’s The Mechanic. In addition to this, Netflix also revealed recently that they are throwing their full weight behind The Night Agent, which has been renewed for a third season ahead of the arrival of Season 2.
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It seems that while Netflix has a slightly unfair reputation as being the streamer who constantly cancels shows that have not had time to build an audience, when it comes to their movie output, action is clearly the name of the game and a genre that they are more than happy to fully invest in. As more movies are added to the Netflix catalog, audiences are already eagerly anticipating their next loud, violent action fix.
- Release Date
- October 17, 2024
- Cast
- Aurora Ribero , Hana Malasan , Ali Fikry , Kristo Immanuel , Taskya Namya , Andri Mashadi , Adipati Dolken , Agra Piliang
- Runtime
- 144 Minutes
- Character(s)
- Agent 13 , Agent Umbra , Monji , Jeki , Soriah , Ariel , Prasetyo , Haga
