‘6 Underground’ on Netflix Could Be the First Streaming Action Franchise

The word “family” is thrown around a lot in 6 Underground on Netflix, which inevitably will remind you of the Fast and the Furious films. And while 6 Underground is not nearly as good, it may end up following in Vin Diesel’s footsteps and become Netflix’s first action franchise.

6 Underground is Netflix, director Michael Bay, and star Ryan Reynolds leaning as far in as they possibly can without toppling over into everything that makes Michael Bay both very popular and very mockable: a half-hearted plot, neon colors, and lots of explosions (at least 20, by my count). With an R-rating, it does also come with a few genuinely creative and gruesome action sequences. It’s hardly John Wick, but it’s not quite Transformers, either. Reynolds stars as the leader of a team of vigilantes who fake their own deaths in order to better pursue an evil dictator of fake Middle Eastern country (“Turgistan”). There are seven of them and refer to each other not by name, but by number. There’s “One” (Reynolds), a billionaire tech bro; “Two” (Mélanie Laurent) a deadly former CIA agent; “Three” (Manuel Garcia-Ruflo), a well-meaning hitman; “Four” (Ben Hardy), a thief and parkour expert; “Five” (Adria Arjona), a doctor; “Six” (Dave Franco), an expert driver; and “Seven” (Corey Hawkins), an expert shot.

It’s Netflix’s addition to the holiday season blockbuster, which in theaters includes the Jumanji film starring The Rock, the new Star Wars film starring Daisy Ridley, and, of course, the CATS movie starring Taylor Swift, but as a cat. But as a streaming-only film, Netflix doesn’t have to worry about that competition. There’s no doubt that 6 Underground will be a hit for Netflix, no matter what the critics say—not with all those pretty explosions and the power of Ryan Reynolds’ social media marketing campaign behind it.

Netflix’s other big action-y, star-powered flick was 2017’s Bright, starring Will Smith as a police officer in a Dungeons and Dragons version of Los Angeles. It was a huge hit for the streaming service, despite its 28 percent critical rating on the review aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes. As an “urban fantasy crime film,” it was much weirder than 6 Underground. There are no elves, orcs, magic, or themes of racism in 6 Underground—there is only the casual sexism and xenophobia that comes with scantily-clad ladies and “evil” Middle Eastern dictators.

That lack of weirdness will likely work to 6 Underground‘s advantage when it comes to sequels, which Bright has yet to receive. (A Bright sequel was ordered shortly after the film’s Netflix debut, and production was scheduled to begin this year, only to be delayed indefinitely. Smith’s co-star, Lucy Fry, said the reason was Smith’s busy schedule.) Meanwhile, the J.C. Chandor military heist action movie Triple Frontier, starring Ben Affleck, was less successful than the streaming service hoped, while Point Blank, a remake of a French buddy action film starring Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie, didn’t take off, either.

Not only does 6 Underground deliver exactly what Netflix subscribers expect of it, but there’s also a clear path forward for franchising ensemble action films like it. There are nine Fast & Furious films, after all. Whether enough people watch 6 Underground to warrant that level of franchising remains to be seen—the lack of real characters and conflicting morals might turn off viewers in ways Fast & Furious didn’t—but I have no doubt the film will be popular.

Despite the thin material, Reynolds is a bonafide movie star and it shows. It’s hard to resist his charming smiles and one-liners, even if they are much more charming and funny when tied to a substantial character like Deadpool. The rest of the talented cast holds their own, too, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t briefly enjoy watching this team get back together again. Much like the Transformers sequels, a Six Underground sequel wouldn’t have anything new to say—but who cares? Michael Bay certainly doesn’t. There are always more cities to blow up.

Watch 6 Underground on Netflix