The French action thriller has become a global hit on Netflix

When this is done with minimal efficiency, Action movies are pure cinema. They are kinetic, ecstatic and sometimes balletic. Whether we’re watching fistfights, a massive shootout, or a tire-rolling chase, action cinema has the power to leave us gasping and cheering as stuntmen (or combat-trained actors) strut their daredevil stuff. And if the director is skilled enough to storyboard, shot by shot, the chaos that unfolds on screen, your reward will be nothing short of bliss.

while Action movies by maestro like John WooJackie Chan, and Walter Hill make life worth living, and true movie junkies can get their daily fix with a dirty, dirty flick full of crudely executed punches and twisted metal chops. There is a nobility to this kind of filmmaking. In her vital essay “Trash, Art, and Movies,” the legendary film critic Pauline Kael wrote: “The least trash is better than wholesome family entertainment. When you clean them up, when you make movies respectable, you kill them. Their art and their greatness lie in their irreverence.”

There is nothing respectable about James Fargo “Forced revenge” Starring Chuck Norris, but it’s the American comfort food of kung fu that has caught my attention many times in my life – and nowadays, action subgenres don’t have to be Americanized to connect with American viewers because action is a universal language. It’s exposition, fight, plot, fight, and more plot, fight, etc. These foreign-made films are so formulaic that you know exactly what is happening even if you watch them without subtitles.

This is how the French version of “Taken” could find itself at the top of the top 10 streaming movies on Netflix at the beginning of 2025.

According to the FlixPatrol website“Ad Vitam” directed by Rudolf Lauga has become the most popular movie on Netflix since its debut three days ago. The French film stars Guillaume Canet (a prolific actor and director, perhaps best known to American viewers as Leonardo DiCaprio’s rival for Virginie Ledoyen’s affections in “The Beach”), as a disgraced cop whose pregnant wife (Stéphane Caillard) is kidnapped and held hostage by bad guys. Men who need Kanye to employ his special skill set to their advantage. Check out the film’s trailer on YouTube, and you’ll see Kanye running across rooftops, shooting firearms, riding a motorcycle, and doing a little parkour as he tries to ensure Killard’s safety.

We are in a completely “taken” city Here, is where a veteran actor like Kanye can build himself a powerful one-man army franchise. The film has not yet received sufficient reviews from critics accredited by Metacritic to deserve a rating. But Monica Castillo from RogerEbert.com The film was spoiled with a one and a half star review due to its failure in the character department. Again, we’re not looking for the high art of Ad Vitam, but you do need emotional approval to be able to enjoy this quick third act; Other than that, you might also watch a random UFC fight.

As one of the most popular movies on Netflix right now, millions of people around the world are experiencing it, and at 95 minutes, it doesn’t take much time. If you like watching highly trained tough guys rescue their kidnapped spouses, this might be your kind of junk.