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After spending three weeks at No. 1 on Nielsen’s overall streaming viewership chart, Netflix’s Squid Game has relinquished its crown.

Netflix’s Jamie Foxx-Cameron Diaz thriller Back In Action landed the top spot this week with 1.5 billion minutes viewed, Nielsen said in its weekly update on Thursday. Squid Game fell to No. 4 on the overall streaming chart with 1.25 billion minutes viewed during the Jan. 13-Jan. 19 frame, the most recent week in the data firm’s tally.

Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton-starrer Landman kept up its run with 1.05 billion minutes of viewing and represents the only Paramount+ show outside of library title Dexter to chart in the top 5 for this week on either the TV or movies charts.

Speaking of Western-influenced shows, Peter Berg’s American Primeval, which was the top premiere on the streaming chart last week, rose to No. 2 on the overall chart with 1.41 billion minutes viewed.

Kinda Pregnant. Amy Schumer as Lainy in Kinda Pregnant. Cr. Spencer Pazer/Netflix © 2024. The Netflix Top 10 charts are buzzing with new hits and returning favorites this week, proving that viewers are craving a diverse range of entertainment. From laugh-out-loud comedies to gripping thrillers, there’s something for everyone. Leading the charge in films is Kinda Pregnant, starring Amy Schumer. This comedy about a fake pregnancy clearly resonated with audiences, debuting at No. 1 with a staggering 25.1 million views. Its global appeal is undeniable, landing it in the Top 10 in a remarkable 92 countries. But Kinda Pregnant isn’t the only film making waves. Back in Action, featuring the dynamic duo of Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, continues to draw viewers, securing the No. 2 spot with 9.2 million views. On the television front, The Night Agent reigns supreme once again. Season 2 grabbed the top spot in TV with 7.3 million views, while the first season,...

Squid Game dominated the streaming charts, though it cooled off a good amount in its third week at No. 1. Landman also peaked following its season finale, and American Primeval had a strong debut.

For the week of Jan. 6-12, Squid Game racked up 2.37 billion minutes of viewing on Netflix, according to Nielsen’s streaming ratings. That’s down by about 48 percent from the previous week — but still almost a billion minutes clear of Landman in second place. Since the Dec. 26 premiere of season two, Squid Game has totaled 11.88 billion minutes of watch time in the United States.

As for Landman, its 1.38 billion minutes for the week leading into its Jan. 12 season finale continued the Paramount+ drama’s streak of improving every week it’s been on. It grew from 1.3 billion minutes a week earlier.

American Primeval, a western from Peter Berg, was the top premiere of the week with 1.25 billion viewing minutes on Netflix.

The Night Agent. (L to R) Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, Amanda Warren as Catherine in episode 210 of The Night Agent. Cr. Christopher Saunders/Netflix © 2024 The week of January 27th saw a thrilling mix of returning favorites and exciting new entries on Netflix’s Top 10 charts. From high-octane action to heartwarming family entertainment, there was something for everyone. For the third week running, Back in Action, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, held its ground at the top of the English films list with a staggering 18.4 million views. This action-comedy clearly resonated with audiences worldwide, securing a spot in the Top 10 in every country. Proving that viewers can’t get enough of thrilling narratives, the airport thriller Carry-On also maintained its presence on the list. On the English TV front, The Night Agent Season 2 took the crown, pulling in 15.2 million views. The success of the series is undeniable, with Season...

French-language action thriller Ad Vitam, starring Guillaume Canet, has entered Netflix’s all-time top ten for most popular non-English movies on its platform.

Per data collated by the streamer to coincide with the publication of its weekly top 10 charts, the movie has generated 54.5 million views since its release on January 10, in 93 countries including France, the U.S., Canada, Germany, Spain, the UK and Australia.

The achievement came as the movie clocked another 3.4M views over the past week, putting it in the No. 4 slot of this week’s chart.

Canet plays a former elite agent whose pregnant wife is kidnapped in an attack on their home by a mysterious group of armed men. As he embarks on a dangerous personal mission to get her back, his past catches up with him and he is plunged into a state affair that is beyond his control.

It marks a first major action...

Secret agents Matt and Emily Reynolds (Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz) made the right choice coming out of retirement because Back in Action leads the Top 10 in English films for the third week in a row (18.4 million views). The action-comedy was a worldwide hit, making its way to the Top 10 in all countries. 

And once again, there was plenty of action to go around. On the English TV list, Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) answered the call: The Night AgentSeason 2 was the No. 1 most-watched show (15.2 million views), with Season 1 also on the list at No. 4 (5 million views). And the Noah Centineo-starring The Recruit remained a hit, with Season 2 arriving at No. 2 (5.9 million views) and Season 1 sitting at No. 8 (3.1 million views). Meanwhile, the French thriller Ad Vitam stormed onto the Most Popular non-English films list at No.

Season 2 of ‘The Night Agent’ became the most-watched Netflix series during the week of Jan. 20-26, racking up 13.9 million views in its first four days.

While its debut was strong, it didn’t match the launch of Season 1 in 2023, which had 168.7 million hours watched in just four days, equating to about 20.6 million views. The success of Season 2 also brought more viewers back to Season 1, which earned 4.9 million views and landed in fourth place on the charts that week.

‘Back in Action’ stayed at No. 1 on the English-language film list for the second week, with 46.8 million views. ‘Ad Vitam’ topped the non-English language films list for the third week, earning 8.4 million views. ‘The Recruit’ Season 1 secured No. 10 on the English TV list with 1.7 million views as viewers awaited Season 2.’ Carry-On’ remained at No. 9 on the English films list with 2.7 million views. ‘Knight and Day’ appeared at No. 10 on the English films list,...

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“The Night Agent” Season 2 boasted a strong debut on Netflix, topping the streamer’s TV charts with 13.9 million views since its debut on Thursday, Jan. 23. The second installment of the Gabriel Basso-led spy drama hit the Top 10 in 90 countries.

Audiences also caught up with the show’s first season, which landed at No. 4 on the list with 4.9 million views. “The Night Agent” has already been renewed for Season 3.

Spy dramas are resonating with Netflix viewers on all fronts, as the Jamie Foxx/Cameron Diaz-led movie “Back in Action” stayed atop the movies Top 10 list for the second week in a row with 46.8 million views. On the non-English language list, France’s film “Ad Vitam” landed at No. 1 with 8.4 million views. And in anticipation of the Season 2 premiere of “The Recruit,...

Season 2 of “The Night Agent” was the most-watched Netflix series of the week of Jan. 20-26, debuting with 13.9 million views in its first four days of availability.

The season’s success is unsurprising given how Season 1 performed when it debuted in 2023 — landing at No. 7 on Netflix’s list of its most popular-English language TV series of all time with 98.2 million views in its first 91 days of streaming. However, the debut of Season 2 doesn’t appear to have matched that of Season 1, which debuted with 168.7 million hours watched in four days back before Netflix ranked viewership in terms of views. Divided by the season’s runtime of 8 hours and 11 minutes, Season 1’s opening weekend amounted to 20.6 million views — ahead of Season 2’s 13.9 million.

The release of “The Night Agent” Season 2 also drove viewers back to Season 1, which placed in fourth with 4.9 million views behind “Xo, Kitty” Season 2 (9.2 million views in its...

Ever since Paramount Plus’s “Landman” debuted in December, it has been in a battle with Netflix for the number one spot. Apart from the two weeks where it gave way to Netflix’s “Carry On,” Taylor Sheridan’s latest series “Landman” has spent four of the last seven weeks at the top of the weekly Top 10.

This week, the new hit series was displaced by Netflix’s “Back in Action” starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, according to the Samba TV Weekly Wrap for January 13-19. Cameron Diaz’s comeback after nearly a decade away from the screen was an instant hit for the streamer with the spy thriller earning 3.2M US households tuning in over its debut weekend.

Down from its premiere week where it first appeared in second place on the chart, Netflix’s Western epic miniseries “American Primeval” comes in third this week. Fourth was Netflix...

Back In Action. (L to R) Jamie Foxx as Matt and Cameron Diaz as Emily in Back In Action. Cr. John Wilson/Netflix © 2024. Hold onto your hats, folks, because Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are officially Back in Action! This dynamic duo stormed the Netflix Top 10 this week, grabbing the #1 spot on the English Film list with a whopping 46.8 million views. That’s the biggest opening weekend for an English-language film since The Adam Project landed back in March 2022! This action-packed spy flick has been a global sensation, hitting #1 in a staggering 85 countries – the most for any English-language film since Extraction 2. Clearly, audiences everywhere were craving some Diaz-fueled action, as her 2010 hit Knight and Day also soared to #4 on the English Film list. But the action doesn’t stop there! Carry-On, the high-flying thriller starring Taron Egerton, secured its place in the Netflix hall of fame, landing at...

“Kraven the Hunter” (Sony) flopped in theaters when it opened five weeks ago (not even $25 million grossed in the U.S./Canada), but the Marvel world-adjacent action film had enough interest to vie for top home VOD title last week. It placed first at Fandango (which calculates by revenue) and second currently at iTunes (ranking by transactions), although it was #1 at the latter its first three days in release.

“Wicked” (Universal) in its third week of home release remained #1 at iTunes, but dropped to second at Fandango. Both rent for 48 hours for $19.99.

At Netflix, “Back in Action” is the latest original movie to lead their top 10. The spy comedy, Jamie Foxx’s first TV movie since 2004, and Cameron Diaz’s first film of any kind in over a decade, is the kind of star-driven lightweight effort that used to populate theaters on a regular basis. That it got made at...

Netflix's new World War II movie has become a big streaming hit shortly after its release in 2025. Since the 2020s, the streaming service has produced and distributed several original World War II movies. Operation Mincemeat (2021), starring Colin Firth, recounts a real British deception operation that misled Nazi Germany about the Allied invasion plans. Munich: The Edge of War (2022), starring 1917's George MacKay, reimagines Neville Chamberlain's appeasement efforts through the lens of a fictional spy thriller.

Other Netflix original movies have explored the human cost of war, most prominently 2022's German-language All Quiet on the Western Front, though set during World War I, shares many similar themes with World War II movies, portraying the brutal realities of combat. Netflix's The Forgotten Battle (2020) also highlights the pivotal Battle of the Scheldt during World War II, offering multiple perspectives from the Dutch, German, and Allied soldiers. More recently, Tyler Perry's The Six Triple Eight,...

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is quickly climbing Netflix's charts following its premiere on the platform. Tom Gormican's 2022 action-comedy sees a fictionalized and down-on-his-luck Cage embark on a paid appearance at billionaire super-fan Javi Gutierrez's (Pascal) birthday party, only to find himself swept up in a CIA plot. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent also stars Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, Neil Patrick Harris, and Paco León.

After netting a score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes upon release, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent had an incredible debut among audiences upon its Netflix premiere. Within the first week of being added to the streaming service's catalog, Cage and Pascal's action-comedy has risen up the daily charts. As of Sunday, January 19, the movie is the #6 title on the list of Top 10 Movies in the U.S. today. It comes behind new release Back in Action,...

Netflix's new French-language action thriller Ad Vitam has an interesting title, and its English translation carries a lot of meaning for the film. Ad Vitam is the newest John Wick-esque action movie from Netflix, and it's already climbed to the top of the streaming service's charts. Its popularity is likely due to its sleek action, but the cast of Ad Vitam and the star power of its French actors likely helped as well. While it may not be one of the best action movies on Netflix, Ad Vitam certainly makes for an entertaining watch.

For all of Ad Vitam's popularity, it didn't have the same success with critics or audiences. Ad Vitam has a critics score of 36% and an audience score of 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many of the reviewers criticized the movie's threadbare plot and the way the flashbacks slowed down the pace of the film. The meaning of the movie's title,...

In 2022, Nicolas Cage played Nicolas Cage in "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," a delightful comedy outing that saw the veteran star come across as what /Film's Jacob Hall described as "often nuanced, generally restrained, and painfully, awkwardly human." That's quite an accomplishment for Cage, who has been known for anything but his restraint in the last couple of decades. Even when he starred in the most terrifying horror movie of 2024, "Longlegs," he played the mysterious and creepy serial killer with an over-the-top relish. I went into that theater wondering if we'd see some kind of uncharacteristic restraint on Cage's behalf, but after he started scream-singing five minutes into the movie I thought, "Nope!" Not to say his performance was bad, but if you saw him in David Gordon Green's 2013 effort "Joe," you might too be hoping for more of the quietly brooding older Nic Cage and less of...

What a difference a year makes. Max dominated the Samba TV Weekly Wrap Report in the second half of 2024, thanks to hit series like “House of the Dragon,” “The Penguin,” and “Dune: Prophecy.” But since the calendar has turned to 2025, the chart has belonged to Paramount+ and “Landman.”

The drama, led by Billy Bob Thornton, has topped the chart two weeks in a row now. This week, the show rode the wave of its finale, which was made available on Jan. 12.

The series has been another feather in the cap of its creator, super writer/director/producer Taylor Sheridan, who has been behind most of the biggest hits on Paramount+, including “Tulsa King” and “Special Ops: Lioness.”

The stiffest competition for “Landman” comes in the form of another series set in the American west, “American Primeval,” from Netflix. The period miniseries is set in 1857, during the Utah War, which pitted...

Netflix's latest movie, Ad Vitam, includes a small ensemble of talented French actors. Directed by Rodolphe Lauga, the Netflix international movie is currently the number one non-English film on the streaming platform. Ad Vitam follows Franck, a former member of the elite French tactical police, the Gign, as he is forced to delve into his past after his pregnant wife is kidnapped. While Ad Vitam uses a similar plotline that several films in the genre employ, it sets itself apart with its action and incredible performances from its cast.

Since most of the actors in Ad Vitam are French, they might not be familiar to an American audience, but they've featured in several French movies and TV Shows. The Netflix action movie is engaging from start to finish, with an intense storyline that makes audiences root for the primary protagonist. Although there's a lot to like about Ad Vitam,...

A24 has become one of the leading producers in horror over the past decade. Most recently, their horror film Heretic succeeded at the box office and among critics, scoring an impressive 91% Tomatometer. The central Heretic performance by Hugh Grant has also garnered attention at awards ceremonies, earning the actor nominations at the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. 2024 also saw the release of other A24 horror films including Y2K, The Front Room, MaXXXine, and I Saw The TV Glow.

But even before last year, A24 has been cultivating directorial talents in the horror genre for years. They were the distributor behind The Witch, for example, a film that would go on to make stars out of both director Robert Eggers and actor Anya Taylor-Joy. The company added other indie auteurs to its growing list of directorial collaborators, including Clerks helmer Kevin Smith, who directed their wacky 2014 horror film Tusk. Another director...

There's a new action movie trending on Netflix at the moment, and after hearing what it's about, it is hard to deny the fact that the John Wick series has significantly changed the action genre. Originating in 2014, John Wick is a neo-noir action franchise centering on the titular character, John Wick, who returns to his previous life as a hitman after gang members kill his puppy. Although this premise may seem somewhat silly, John Wick has managed to explode into a highly popular action series. Thus far, there are four main John Wick films and an upcoming spinoff, Ballerina.

Because John Wick has expanded considerably since 2014, it isn't entirely surprising that the franchise is still affecting the action genre. John Wick: Chapter 4 came out to incredible acclaim in 2023, and Ballerina is one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2025. However, even then, John Wick's influence has brought along some...

Directed by Rodolphe Lauga, the French action thriller Ad Vitam challenges expectations, often making you question whether it truly feels like a French production. While it boasts an intense climactic fight sequence that teeters on the edge of absurdity, the film’s conventional and predictable plot—centered on a government mission gone awry—dampens its energy well before the finale.

The story follows Franck, a former elite Gign operative, whose turbulent past catches up with him when his wife, Leo, is abducted. Forced into a high-stakes game of survival, Franck must deliver a closely guarded secret to secure Leo’s release. The tension is palpable, but as the narrative progresses, a pressing question lingers: Will Franck sacrifice everything, including the secret, to save the woman he loves? Let’s unravel the answer.

Spoilers Ahead.

Ad Vitam (2025) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis What Happens to Leo?

Leo, a former Gign operative,...

The French action film “Ad Vitam” came out of nowhere to become the biggest movie on Netflix at the start of 2025.

“Ad Vitam” beat out a number of film classics and nostalgic movies to climb to the top of Netflix’s Top 10 ranking since it’s debut on Jan. 10. The film is certain to scratch the itch for action movie lovers – particularly those who adored Liam Neeson’s “Taken” franchise.

Here is what you need to know about “Ad Vitam” before you check it out for yourself.

What is ‘Ad Vitam’ about?

“Ad Vitam” follows a counterterrorism agent for the French national police called Gign who has fallen from grace right as he’s embroiled in a mission involving the kidnapping of his pregnant wife. Here’s the official synopsis of the film:

“After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazareff must find his wife Leo, who has been kidnapped by...

Last year, none other than Deadpool's own wife booted "Deadpool & Wolverine" out of the box office number one spot. That is to say, at a time when "Deadpool & Wolverine" was seemingly unbeatable at the box office, star Ryan Reynolds' wife Blake Lively hit number one with her adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel "It Ends with Us." The movie might well be mired in controversy following accusations of sexual harassment on-set, but the "It Ends with Us" behind-the-scenes drama can't take away from the movie's success.

The romantic drama stars Lively as Lily Bloom, a woman confronting the reality of her abusive relationship, with the "Gossip Girl" alum delivering a solid performance in a film that otherwise failed to wow critics. But that surely doesn't matter to Lively, as her $25 million movie not only managed to dethrone her husband's superhero blockbuster, but also grossed $350 million worldwide.

Now, while...

In the action thriller Ad Vitam, an ex-elite agent is forced to confront his past when his pregnant wife is kidnapped. Will he find out the truth behind a dangerous conspiracy before it’s too late? The film, from director Rodolphe Lauga (2014’s It’s Complicated), stars Guillaume Canet, Stéphane Caillard, and Nassim Lyes.

Stream it now.

Watch it at the top of this page.

Franck (Canet) and his wife, Léo (Caillard), met as Gign trainees and worked alongside each other for years before getting together. Now, Léo is pregnant, and the pair are overjoyed. But things have been tense — their house has been ransacked twice in recent days, and they seemingly have no clue why. That is, until they’re visited by violent masked men who demand Franck tell them “what he knows,” otherwise they’ll kill his wife. When Franck doesn’t talk, the men kidnap Léo and leave Franck unconscious.

“The Substance” (Mubi) and “Flow” (Janus/Sideshow), two very independent specialized releases, add to their theatrical and awards successes with strong interest on home viewing.

“Wicked” (Universal), expecting even greater recognition repeats as #1 at both iTunes (ranking by transactions) and Fandango (by revenue) in its second week out. The studio, which like others rarely announces home video returns, said its first week out had $70 million in rentals and sales. They get 80 percent of this after a small carriage fee deduction, a much higher return than in theaters. This buttresses the claim of how vital PVOD is, even if its often early streaming release seems to intrude on theatrical play.

Netflix, meanwhile, underwent a wholesale turnover this week, with only three films listed last week still on their top 10. “Ad Vitam,” an original French thriller in the Liam Neeson-mold that follows a lone avenger saving a family member in danger,...

Netflix's Ad Vitam focuses heavily on something known as the Gign, but what does the term mean? 

The new streaming thriller mixes elements of several big-name blockbusters, taking ingredients from action greats like Taken, the Bourne franchise, and Mission: Impossible (whose latest movie is due this summer).

This unique mixture creates a man-on-the-run story filled with international espionage, betrayal, and doing anything to save a loved one. 

Read full article on The Direct.

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When done with a modicum of proficiency, action movies are pure cinema. They are kinetic, ecstatic, and occasionally balletic. Whether we're watching hand-to-hand brawls, bullet-whizzing shootouts, or tire-squealing car chases, action cinema holds the potential to leave us gasping and cheering as stunt people (or combat-trained actors) strut their fearless stuff. And if the director is skilled enough to inventively storyboard, shot-by-chaotic-shot, the mayhem unfolding on the screen, your reward is nothing short of bliss.

While the action films of maestros like John Woo, Jackie Chan, and Walter Hill make life worth living, a true movie junkie can get their daily fix from a down-and-dirty formula flick laden with crudely executed punch-ups and twisted-metal set pieces. There is a nobility to this kind of filmmaking. In her vital essay "Trash, Art and the Movies," legendary film critic Pauline Kael wrote,...

Guillaume Canet makes like Bruce Willis and other past regular-guy-as-action-hero models in “Ad Vitam,” which he co-wrote. The entertaining Netflix concoction stars Canet as a Parisian ex-cop forcibly pulled into new perils connected to the shootout that got him sacked. Putting its hero through paces that embrace everything from parkour to parasailing, Rodolphe Lauga’s feature is not dull. But it is increasingly hard to take seriously, as the script veers between gritty thriller terrain to the kind of overscaled set-pieces more apt for James Bond.

Those elements’ failure to gel gets exacerbated by an awkward story structure whose midsection is a long, two-part flashback. The splashy yet vague end result feels like a hoped-for launch to a franchise that lacks the distinct character to become one — in trying to be too many things at once, it emerges a slippery composite of familiar genre concepts.

At the start, Franck Lazarev...

The central struggle of Netflix’s French action thriller, Ad Vitam, hinges upon the age-old question of whether the concept of nationalism equates loyalty to the state or to the ones who control the power dynamics of the state. While the execution of the theme left much to be desired due to a lackluster script, the performance by the ensemble cast was strong enough to keep the audience entertained.

Franck Lazarev Played By Guillaume Canet

French actor, director, and screenwriter Guillaume Canet has been active in the movie industry for over the last three decades and has starred in acclaimed movies like the crime noir Next Time, I’ll Aim for the Heart, the adventure drama titled The Beach, and the thrilling Tell No One, which was also directed by him.

In Ad Vitam, Guillaume Canet plays the lead role of former Gign Captain Franck Lazarev, whose quest to serve...

I really wanted to say something positive about Netflix’s French action movie, Ad Vitam, other than that there are some really cool action sequences interspersed throughout the 90-odd minute runtime. Unfortunately, the movie turned out to be such a generic, unnecessarily convoluted mess, it falls into the category of extremely forgettable Netflix ventures. The basic plotline is pretty simple and follows a former member of a highly trained tactical unit unwittingly finding himself and his family targeted by the very system he served, which has him questioning the basis of the nationalistic ideology he’d pledged himself to. But the way Ad Vitam goes about exploring the premise by spending a major chunk of the runtime repeatedly highlighting the bond among brothers in arms and delaying the action till the final showdown—which is nothing short of a dumpster fire, to say the least—makes it a chore to...

Robert Downey Jr. and Joker director Todd Phillips’ road trip comedy with a 39% Rotten Tomatoes score is climbing the Netflix charts, more than a decade after its original release. Among the most successful and beloved contemporary actors, Downey Jr. has starred in a wide variety of movies throughout his well-observed, 55-year career. Before portraying Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, which won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, or his tenure as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU, he had done many comedies and even joined the cast of SNL during season 11.

Within comedy, Downey Jr. appeared in The Pick-up Artist, Soapdish, The Shaggy Dog, and the acclaimed, but debated, Tropic Thunder, among other films. However, he has proven more than capable of working across genres, as evidenced by his more dramatic roles and blockbuster accomplishments, similar to Todd Phillips’ transition from largely humor-infused projects to the 2019 thriller Joker. Prior to making that movie,...

Netflix's latest action thriller hit has audiences wondering what exactly its cryptic title means. 

Named Ad Vitam, the new French-language film follows in the footsteps of movies like Under Paris, marking another streaming hit mega-hit out of the European nation. 

The movie follows a French man named Franck as his past comes to bite him when his pregnant wife, Leo is kidnapped for (what seems at the time) no reason. 

Read full article on The Direct.

The French action thriller Ad Vitam, directed by Rodolphe Lauga, attempts to mix adrenaline with existential themes. The film, which stars Guillaume Canet as Franck, a former elite Gign officer, examines duty and family ties. The Latin word for “for life” in the title suggests an intellectual depth that the book often avoids.

When masked attackers kidnap Franck’s pregnant wife, Léo (Stéphane Caillard), the narrative begins, sending him on a bloody mission. But instead of a well-thought-out story, we get a rough outline of well-known plot points.

Franck feels guilty about a terrible event that ruined his job. This history is interesting to learn about, but it’s told through forced flashbacks. When does an action movie become more serious? This is the question it begs.

Léo represents vulnerability and power, consistent with larger societal themes about gender roles in action films. Even though she has trained, she often plays the damsel in trouble,...

French action-drama film Ad Vitam is boring and at times comical for all the wrong reasons. It’s one of those films that makes you wonder why it was produced in the first place. Our protagonist, Franck Lazareff, was being repeatedly harassed for unknown reasons. His wife, Leo, figured that Franck had gotten involved with the wrong people when their apartment was ransacked twice in a short span. There were people searching for something at their place, and with a baby on the way, Leo could not believe that Franck had put her and their future at risk like this. Soon, armed men broke into their apartment, threatening Franck to hand over the secret item he had been hiding, but he refused to follow their instructions. The armed men kidnapped Leo, and the only way he could get her back was by giving in to their demands.

Spoiler Alert

How did Nico die?...

Tom Cruise is considered the biggest action star working right now, and for good reason. He is in his 60s, he is still running as fast as some of the most brilliant athletes out there and performing the wildest vehicular stunts imaginable. And it doesn’t seem like he is in the mood to vacate that throne yet. But that doesn’t mean actors from all over the globe aren’t trying to live up to the standards he has set, especially in terms of doing their own stunts. Raymond Lam Fung knocked it out of the park in Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. Dev Patel was excellent in Monkey Man. Emilio Sakraya took everyone’s breath away in Sixty Minutes. Jun Jong-seo surprised everyone in Ballerina. The work done by Alban Lenoir in the two Lost Bullet films are inspirational. Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Cecep Arif Rahman, Julie Estelle,...

“Ad Vitam” is a thriller movie directed by Rodolphe Lauga starring Guillaume Canet, with Stéphane Caillard and Nassim Lyes.

Netflix’s latest release, “Ad Vitam”, is a French thriller that attempts to balance high-octane action with a deep dive into the psyche of its protagonist. Directed by Rodolphe Lauga and starring Guillaume Canet, the film presents a familiar yet engaging narrative that should satisfy fans of the genre.

The story revolves around Franck Lazareff, a member of France’s elite Gign (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group). When his wife is kidnapped by a mysterious group seeking a specific key, Lazareff’s past comes back to haunt him. As he races against time to save his spouse, he becomes entangled in an international arms dealing conspiracy.

“Ad Vitam” distinguishes itself from typical Hollywood fare by taking a more measured approach to storytelling. The film’s structure, while not groundbreaking, proves effective. It...

The year is almost done, Netflix fans. Every month there are some changes to what the giant streams, but something about beginning a new year feels different. Even if you have seen some of the following shows before, you have never seen them in 2025. Not yet anyway.

Netflix goes extra-heavy with new releases at the start of January. There will be new releases throughout the month, but nothing like January 1. You might want to work your monthly calendar around that day alone.

But what is coming out and when? That list is below.

All the new releases coming to Netflix in January 2025January 1

13 Going on 30 (movie)

3 Ninjas: Kick Back (movie)

Apollo 13 (movie)

Blended (movie)

Bruce Almighty (movie)

Colombiana (movie)

Dallas Buyers Club (movie)

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (movie)

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax( movie)

Erin Brockovich (movie)

Hotel Transylvania (movie)

Hotel Transylvania 2 (movie)

I Know What You Did Last Summer...

There's no doubt that 2024 was an excellent year for Netflix movies. No matter what your favorite kind of movie is, whether it's romantic comedies or action movies or award seasons dramas, the streaming service had something for everyone. As usual, Netflix looks to keep that tradition alive in 2025 with some of its best movies yet coming down the pipeline.

Prior to the ball dropping on the new year, Netflix had already went ahead and announced release dates for some of its most exciting new movies that will be kicking off 2025 in style. Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx team up in the action-comedy Back in Action in January, while Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt fire up spring with the Russo Brother's sci-fi blockbuster The Electric State in March.

The Witcher fans have been waiting patiently for season 4, but in February, the new animated movie The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep...

"You have four hours to bring me what we want." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for a French action thriller film called Ad Vitam, directed by the camera operator turned filmmaker Rodolphe Lauga. The film features a screenplay co-written by Rodolphe Lauga and French actor Guillaume Canet, telling a story about a man trying to save his wife while tangled in a bigger conspiracy. After escaping from an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men. He is caught up by his past as a former member of the French Elite Intervention Squad (Gign) and pulled into a state affair far beyond his control. Starring Guillaume Canet as Franck (doing lots of running), Stéphane Caillard, Nassim Lyes, Zita Hanrot, Alexis Manenti, & Johan Heldenbergh. Yet another localized French film offering from Netflix - it does look entertaining but...