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Two new Netflix action movies storm the charts for very different reasons

Very different movies, but both have lots of action at their heart...

Two new Netflix action movies storm the charts for very different reasons
Marc Chacksfield
28 January 2024

The Netflix top 10 has two new action movies in it - both are a great watch, but for very different reasons.

While the risible Lift is still in top place, according to Flix Patrol, the second and third spot are taken up by Sixty Minutes and Badland Hunters.

Both are Netflix Originals and have action at their heart but that's where the similarities end.

Two new Netflix action movies storm the charts for very different reasons

First up is Sixty Minutes. If you like your action movies to be frenetic and fast, then this German language movie is for you.
The plot: "Mixed Martial Arts fighter Octavio (Emilio Sakraya) finds himself with just 60 minutes to make it to the birthday party of his daughter - otherwise he risks losing custody forever.

"But when he ditches a fight in order to get there, he finds himself on the run from dangerous criminals, in a race against time across the city."

The best thing about this movie is its 'Run Lola Run' play on time, with the movie playing out pretty much in real time - complete with timer - as Octavio uses all of his parkour skills to try and get to his daughter.

It's currently got just 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, but this is a movie that seemingly came out of nowhere, so there aren't many reviews for it (yet).

Those who have reviewed call it "Basically a “Run Lola Run” riff with MMA and parkour decor" (Movie Nation) and Fiction Machine says: "Certainly it is a derivative film – you can spot the influences, and it slots very neatly into the Besson-inspired oeuvre of European action cinema – but to borrow an old phrase it ‘does what it says on the tin’, and it does it remarkably well."

While Everything's Interesting says that "Emilio Sakraya is phenomenal; this is his movie, through and through."

Two new Netflix action movies storm the charts for very different reasons

Next up is soon to be cult classic Badland Hunters - which is second in the global Netflix top 10 right now. This South Korean movie stars action king Ma Dong-seok (who also starred in Train To Busan).

It's an apocalyptic action movie that sees Seoul turned into an apocalyptic wasteland. Dong-seok plays a huntsman who tries to save a friend from a deranged scientist.

If you are a fan of high-concept thrillers, then this one is for you - and the reviews it has gotten are pretty glowing. While it hasn't got a huge amount of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it is sitting at a cool 87%.

Movie Nation says: "The action beats are first-rate, the fight-choreography next level and the trash talk...is top drawer B-movie pithy."

Ready Steady Cut reckons: "Badland Hunters is thrilling from beginning to end, filled with action, danger, brutality, and a tiny bit of humor to take the edge off."

But Why Tho? notes: "Badland Hunters isn’t high art, but it is rip-roaring fun that gets bigger and louder with each subsequent act."

Both Sixty Minutes and Badland Hunters are streaming now.

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