The Mark Wahlberg Action Movie Burning Up The Netflix Charts
November's Netflix releases include a bevy of cinematic classics. On the first of the month alone, we saw the addition of titles like A Clockwork Orange, Boyz n the Hood, Platoon, and that Casper movie from the nineties. Another notable addition to the streaming service's offerings is Mile 22, a 2018 action thriller that's tearing its way up the Netflix charts.
Mile 22, which was inexplicably not released overseas as Kilometer 35.4056, follows the adventures of CIA operative James Silva, played by MTV Movie Award-winner Mark Walhberg of Boogie Nights, several Transformers entries, and the funky bunch. He and his team are tasked with moving a turncoat informant out of hostile territory, with a crucial, slowly self-destructing data disc providing a narrative ticking clock. Familiar faces involved in the film include Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead, The Raid franchises' Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, and — in a surefire sign that this was an action movie made roughly two years ago — Ronda Rousey.
There's lots on the line: Dirty bombs, international espionage, and the ever-present threat of corruption on the inside. Think 3:10 to Yuma meets anything with Tom Clancy's name on the cover, with Mark Wahlberg added in for flavor. Also, John Malkovich wears a wig. That's not something you see very often.
Mile 22: Murder, Mark Wahlberg, Malkovich wigs
Mile 22 was written by Lea Carpenter, a first-time screenwriter and author of the book Eleven Days. Co-produced by Huayi Brothers, the Hideaway Entertainment, and Closest to the Hole, it's directed by Hancock and Battleship helmer Peter Berg.
Mile 22 fared slightly worse with critics than Berg's previous projects, nailing down a 23 percent critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kevin Maher of The Times called it "assassin porn for those who thought that the Jason Bourne movies were too tame and 'girlie,'" noting that the film might be a good time for anyone excited by the prospect of "90 minutes of nameless extras getting shot in the face." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, displaying a not unimpressive array of SAT words, called Mile 22 a "chaotically undisciplined and aggressive action movie, coked up on its own machismo."
In a more glowing review, The Boston Globe's Tom Russo called it "a relentlessly paced, addictively slick paramilitary thriller actively catering to fans of gonzo brutality and turbocharged machismo." The word "machismo" comes up a lot. While the script and editing received a less than positive reception, some of the film's action sequences were regarded well, with praise overwhelmingly heaped on Uwais' trademark brutal fight choreography.
Netflix subscribers are singing a different tune than critics
While not all critics found Mile 22 to be worthy of a watch, the new consensus amongst Netflix subscribers tells a different story. On Twitter, many movie-lovers are singing Mile 22's praises and urging everyone to stream it on Netflix as soon as possible.
"Just watched mile 22 on Netflix wow man what a film, I swear any film that includes mark wahlberg is always amazing," one user on Twitter shared. Another added, "If you're looking for a good movie on Netflix 'Mile 22' is pretty good." And even more Twitterers posted that Mile 22 is "a must-watch" and anyone with a Netflix subscription should do themselves "a favor" and watch the film.
Come to your own conclusion about the merits of Mile 22 by catching it on Netflix now.