Alan Ritchson's #1 Netflix Movie Will Change How You See The Reacher Star

Published Jul 22, 2026, 1:43 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty. However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film critic on his personal website. Alan Ritchson's new No. 1 movie on Netflix will completely change how you see him. Ritchson has made his name as Jack Reacher, the towering former U.S. Army military police officer who roams America taking down dangerous criminals with equal parts brains and brute force in Prime Video's hit action series. Since stepping into Reacher's boots in 2022, Ritchson has expanded into action movies with Fast X (2023), The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024), Playdate (2025), Netflix's War Machine (2026), and more. However, his new movie taking over Netflix shows off a very different side of the actor. Ritchson's new No. 1 movie on Netflix, Ordinary Angels, will completely change how you see the Reacher star. The 2024 film follows the true story of a hairdresser who single-handedly unites her entire community to help a widowed father (played by Ritchson) save the life of his critically ill young daughter. Now, Ordinary Angels is No. 1 on Netflix's Top 10 movies in the United States for today, July 22. It ranks above Desire, Wicked: For Good, The Body in the Locker, The Hunger Games, Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Boss Baby, 23 000 Lives, and Voicemails for Isabelle. Other than Ritchson, the cast includes Hilary Swank in the lead role alongside Emily Mitchell, Skywalker Hughes, Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Drew Powell, Nancy Sorel, Amy Acker, and Dempsey Bryk. It was directed by Jon Gunn, with a script written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig based on a true story that transpired during the 1994 North American cold wave. Ordinary Angels received positive reviews, resulting in an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics calling it an uplifting true story anchored by Hilary Swank's heartfelt performance that blends warmth, compassion, quiet resilience, and delivers an emotional tribute to the everyday heroes who prove that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. The movie also boasts a near-perfect 99% score from audiences, who also consider it a captivating true-story drama that balances heartfelt humor, tense moments of drama, and enough tear-jerking scenes to leave you reaching for a box of tissues. Despite winning over critics and audiences, Ordinary Angels never quite took off at the box office, grossing only $20.5 million worldwide against its $12–13 million budget. However, over two years after its theatrical release, it's certainly finding its audience on Netflix. If you only know Ritchson as the unstoppable force behind Reacher, Ordinary Angels will completely reshape your view of him. He delivers a surprisingly tender performance that highlights the emotional depth behind his action-star image and proves that there's much more to him than just muscles and mayhem. Release Date February 23, 2024 Runtime 118 Minutes Director Jon Gunn Cast Hilary Swank Sharon Stevens Writers Meg Tilly, Kelly Fremon Craig