‘Taken’ Meets ‘Sicario’ in Netflix’s New Revenge Thriller Series

2 weeks ago 13

Published May 9, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

For reasons unknown, he enjoys analyzing box office receipts, giant sharks, and has become known as the go-to man for all things Bosch, Mission: Impossible and Christopher Nolan in Collider's news division. Recently, he found himself yeehawing along to the Dutton saga on the Yellowstone Ranch.

He is proficient in sarcasm, wit, Photoshop and working unfeasibly long hours. Amongst his passions sit the likes of the history of the Walt Disney Company, the construction of theme parks, steam trains and binge-watching Gilmore Girls with a coffee that is just hot enough to scald him.

His obsession with the Apple TV+ series Silo is the subject of mockery within the Senior News channel, where his feelings about Taylor Sheridan's work are enough to make his fellow writers roll their eyes.

Some revenge stories are built around justice. Others are built around a damaged man trying to aim his pain at the people who deserve it before it eats him alive. This one falls into that second, much messier category. It takes a familiar title, pulls it back toward its literary roots, and turns one man’s trauma into a seven-episode thriller about violence, protection, and the cost of becoming useful again when the world has already broken you.

Man on Fire is now streaming on Netflix. Based on A.J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel, the series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen, Candyman) as John Creasy, a former Special Forces mercenary struggling with PTSD after leaving the field. His attempt to build something like a fresh start is interrupted by a new need for revenge, pulling him back toward the violence he was trying to escape. The seven-episode series premiered on Netflix on April 30, 2026.

The cast includes Billie Boullet (A Small Light, The Worst Witch) as Poe Rayburn, Scoot McNairy (Argo, Halt and Catch Fire) as Henry Tappan, Alice Braga (City of God, I Am Legend) as Valeria Melo, Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent, Boardwalk Empire) as Paul Rayburn, Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire, Entourage) as Moncrief, and Thomás Aquino (Bacurau, Private Desert) as Prado Soares.

Is 'Man on Fire' Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that Man on Fire works best as a slow-burn action thriller rather than a nonstop explosion machine. The series follows John Creasy as a damaged former operative pulled back into violence after a bombing leaves a teenage girl in danger. While the show takes its time getting there, the review argues that the slower pacing helps build both the characters and the stakes.

The biggest reason it works is Abdul-Mateen II. According to the review, he gives Creasy real weight as both an action hero and a broken man, making the character’s grief and instability just as compelling as the shootouts and chases. The review notes that the show occasionally gets a little crowded with side plots and characters, but the twists, set pieces, and emotional core keep it gripping. In the end, Man on Fire is not a reinvention, but it is a strong, character-driven binge with a star-making lead turn. Can't argue with that.

Man on Fire is now streaming on Netflix.