A look at the historical Top 10 of the most viewed original movies on Netflix yields a clear conclusion, and that is that it is impossible to draw clear conclusions about what motivates users to hit the play button. Few common elements between films, beyond the fact that they are usually the most talked about releases of the house with more promotion -and more days on the main banner of the cover- than the average release.
The other most repeated element in this Top 10 is the strangest: Ryan Reynolds. The actor is present in three of the ten most watched filmsprobably the product of a good synergy between the platform, which sees him as a reliable face for the public, and the star, who saw more than the rest of his peers the potential of bringing his great blockbusters to streaming.
Now, how remarkable are they? Very little. Both ‘Red Alert’ and ‘The Adam Project’ are productions without the slightest risk, betting on the lowest common denominator of modern blockbuster and on Reynolds a bit on autopilot, turning his playful charisma into something irritating. On the contrary, ‘6 in the shadow’ achieves the opposite. It’s cheeky, it’s sassy, it’s messy, and it’s memorable., and takes good advantage of the humor of the actor. It is one of the best action movies you can watch on Netflix.
the suicide avengers
Of course, this irreverence and this distinguishable charisma is only possible with an author full of personality, capable of making impressive and carefree shows. Someone like Michael Bay, who decided to bet on streaming after decades of being synonymous with large-scale cinema on big screens. Although only the format is the difference, because ‘6 en la sombra’ is pure house brand entertainment.
His film plunges us into the crazy project of a bored billionaire, who wants to set up a group of untraceable mercenaries who come to overthrow tyrannical governments and world corruption from underground. A kind of midpoint between Elon Musk and Nick Fury to form a kind of suicide Avengers -it’s still early to use Thunderbolts on a regular basis at the pop culture level-.
A series of elite soldiers, specialized in different areas, who agree to fake their deaths and break family and friendship ties in order to operate with absolute freedom. A high price that the film investigates something superficially, since bet more on old school action movies, as incorrect as it is wildmade with all the modernity and muscle that characterize Bay.
‘6 en la sombra’: the usual “Bayhem” in pocket format
In fact, his first minutes could not be more “Bayhem”, doing more things in 20 minutes than most movies do in 140. An electrifying, frenetic sequence that builds with the nerve of an overexcited boy but the precision of a master of action. And without cutting too much, taking advantage of the fact that Netflix gives wide sleeves to the most renowned authors, even in terms of age rating.
If anything, the biggest problem with ‘6 en la sombra’ is that it hits the ceiling very soon with that monumental sequence. The rest of the action moments are great and very enjoyable -especially if you know what you’re getting into-, but not so huge.
Perhaps that has lowered the value of the film within Bay’s filmography -many end up calling it a “pocket Bay” in a derogatory way-, but it is still a barbaric action film with more vital energy than most of his tapes from Transformers. Reynolds would be better off trying to stick to such projects than the more forgettable ones.
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