Man On Fire

Streaming on: Netflix
Episodes viewed: 7 of 7

Any new Man On Fire adaptation has some big shoes to fill. A.J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel of the same name has been brought to screens twice before — the most notable being the 2004 Tony Scott film starring Denzel Washington as John Creasy, an alcoholic ex-mercenary who paints a masterpiece of death all over Mexico City. Created by Kyle Killen, this Netflix series quickly establishes itself as its own thing. And a typically excellent lead performance by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II keeps proceedings compelling, even amid some uninspired plotting.

One thing that remains consistent between this and previous Man On Fire iterations is Creasy’s connection with his young charge. In the Washington film, a young Dakota Fanning was Creasy’s protectee. This time around, it’s Poe (Billie Boullet), a rebellious teen who’s orphaned after her family is murdered. At its best, their dynamic is sweet, emotional, and refreshingly honest, with each helping to pull the other out of a darkness that constantly threatens to swallow them whole.

A slight cut above many thrillers of this ilk.

There’s also an effort to make this feel big. While the quality of the action is mostly serviceable, one set-piece on a runway is impressively ambitious. And with much of the action taking place in Rio, the series makes full use of its location, where a sense of authenticity shines through, and its inhabitants. In that regard, Alice Braga brings warmth and guts to Valeria, a driver who comes to Creasy and Poe’s aid. And the most pleasant surprise of the season is Iago Xavier as Vico, a street-smart gang-leader who proves to be much more than a cliché.

While there’s plenty that works well, much of Man On Fire’s plot (which has been re-worked to incorporate elements of Quinnell’s second Creasy novel, The Perfect Kill) feels by the numbers. In addition to being exceedingly predictable — no prizes for guessing who the bad guys behind the bad guys are — there are multiple frustrating and silly plot contrivances, with characters making dumb decisions that feel designed to extend proceedings unnecessarily.

It is the central performance from Abdul-Mateen II which steadies the ship. Creasy starts the series by attempting suicide, having been broken by PTSD; his journey back to the light, fighting not just for vengeance but to live — which Abdul-Mateen II navigates with deeply felt precision — is patient and hard-won. And that makes this a slight cut above many thrillers of this ilk.