War Machine (2026): A Thrilling Sci-Fi Action Movie

Netflix’s latest original film, War Machine (coincidentally the second Netflix original with the same name, following 2017’s ‘War Machine), is a sci-fi action thriller directed by Patrick Hughes and stars Alan Ritchson. The film follows Staff Sergeant 81, characters are assigned numbers and only called by their numbers, (Ritchson) who, after the loss of his brother and receiving the silver star, immediately enlists in Army Ranger training in his brother’s honor. After excelling in all areas, the staff sergeant is sent on one last grueling training mission in the middle of the forest with his squad to destroy a classified aircraft and rescue the pilot. However, upon arriving at the crash site, the soldiers come in contact with a giant otherworldly killing machine that begins brutally eliminating them one by one. With no real weapons, as their forces dwindled, it became a race against time as the soldiers are forced to survive in the hopes of returning home before it is too late.

War Machine is a solid throwback to the macho, testosterone driven action movies of the 80’s and for all intents and purposes, is Hughes’ most accomplished film to date. His film knows exactly what it is, and doesn’t try to be anything more. Not overly long or drawn out, it has great pacing that allows the experience to fly by. Hughes knows how to create genuine tension, and once the soldiers come in contact with this extra terrestrial force, the film shifts into non-stop action and suspense until the credits roll. Similarly, the visual effects are impressive, without a weak shot or effect to be had, something that is becoming increasingly rare for these blockbuster type streaming releases.

Going back to the action, offering all kinds of awesome, it also has a good variety. Because of the sheer size and intelligence of the alien threat, the soldiers can’t just run up and attack it or shoot it down due to their lack of weapons. These circumstances raises the stakes, and the threat all the more real seeing how violent it can get when soldiers are literally getting blown apart. Not only impactful, the action sequences feature impressive camerawork, culminating in an entertaining third act seemingly one shot sequence. Meanwhile, Ritchson is the absolute perfect guy to lead the film, delivering across the action and with his emotional side when required. On the other hand, the rest of the supporting cast aren’t given much to do other than James (7), who impresses alongside Ritchson.

Not without flaws, they are essentially what one would expect from a film like this. That being said, they don’t take away from the fun of it all. The kind of film where audiences are best served shutting off their brain, ones who put more thought into it than needed are likely to pick it apart. Additionally, the dialogue can be quite cheesy at times. None of the characters outside of Ritchson’s 81 are all that developed (its supporting cast consists of Jai Courtney, Esai Morales, and Dennis Quaid share a collective 5 minutes of screentime combined), and some of the military banter feels a little forced and unnecessary, especially at the start and at the finish. When all is set and done, it is hard not to make comparisons to other, better action/sci-fi classics that the film borrows heavily from.

War Machine may not be a game changer or the next great sci-fi actioner by any means, but it does what it sets out to do and will more than likely hit the right spot. If the film did not have as charismatic and capable of a star such as Alan Ritchson leading it, it would not have worked nearly as well, but his performance coupled with Patrick Hughes’ solid direction and prowess with action, the result is an entertaining B-movie worth checking out for any action junkies looking for their next fix.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/