Netflix's 2-Part Action Series Is So Good, You'll Finish It Before The Next Movie

Published May 15, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT Senior Music Editor at Screen Rant, Sarah's love of sound and story drive the beat. A globetrotting brand whisperer and award-winning journalist, she’s built cross-cultural narratives around the world—but music has always been her true north. She launched DJ Mag North America, successfully introducing the iconic UK brand to the U.S. market. Previously, she carved a space for EDM inside the pages of VIBE, blending electronic and hip-hop culture long before it was trendy. Netflix is still the queen bee of streaming. Nobody makes it easier to accidentally watch “just one thing” and suddenly realize three hours have disappeared. The platform’s crown is slightly tarnished, however, by a library of action features that fail to leave a lasting cultural footprint. For every Stranger Things-level phenomenon, there are multiple big budget spectacles that dominate the homepage for a weekend before vanishing into algorithm purgatory. Red Notice pulled massive numbers. The Gray Man had a giant rollout. Most people barely talk about either now. Then this brutal little action franchise came along and unexpectedly outclassed almost all of them. Instead of drowning viewers in lore, cinematic universe setup, or endless exposition, these movies understand the assignment: make the action so intense people immediately text their friends halfway through and say, “put this on tonight.” The fights feel exhausting in the best possible way. Every punch lands hard. Every chase sequence looks physically punishing instead of digitally assembled. At a time when so much streaming action feels weightless, these films have a gritty, old-school energy that makes them ridiculously bingeable. The best part? You can finish both installments in under four hours. That makes this one of the cleanest high-payoff marathons currently on Netflix, especially with the next chapter now gearing up production. The first film became one of the platform’s biggest original hits ever, while the sequel somehow raised the bar with a jaw-dropping extended action sequence that instantly had viewers wondering how it was even filmed. The franchise in question is Extraction, directed by Sam Hargrave and produced by Joe and Anthony Russo. Led by Chris Hemsworth in arguably his best post-Marvel role, the series has quietly become one of Netflix’s only true long-game action successes. While Netflix has aggressively chased blockbuster action franchises for years, very few have managed to stick. The streamer has poured massive budgets into projects like Red Notice, Heart of Stone, and The Gray Man, but most generated short-lived hype before fading out of the conversation almost immediately. Extraction feels different because audiences actually came back. The first film exploded on Netflix in 2020, pulling in 99 million viewers during its first four weeks and quickly becoming one of the platform’s biggest original movie launches ever. More importantly, the sequel avoided the usual streaming-franchise drop-off problem. Extraction 2 earned stronger reviews than the original and built genuine momentum online thanks to its now-famous 21-minute “oner” action sequence, which instantly became one of Netflix’s most talked-about stunt showcases. A huge part of the franchise’s success comes down to how grounded the action feels. Director Sam Hargrave’s stunt background gives the movies a level of physical realism missing from most streaming blockbusters. Instead of drowning every fight in CGI chaos, Extraction makes every punch, crash, and gunfight feel painful. Bodies slam into walls. Characters limp through scenes visibly exhausted. The action has weight, which is probably why these movies feel far more rewatchable than many of Netflix’s glossy action experiments. That staying power is exactly why Netflix is now expanding the universe beyond Tyler Rake. In addition to a third film, the streamer is developing international spin-offs set within the same mercenary underworld. Upcoming projects include Mercenary, an eight-episode series starring Omar Sy, alongside a South Korean-set feature titled Tygo led by Don Lee. Netflix clearly sees Extraction as one of its few action properties capable of sustaining a genuine franchise ecosystem. Image via Netflix Chris Hemsworth will probably always be associated with Thor first, but Extraction finally gave him a non-Marvel role that feels fully his own. Instead of leaning into the charm, comedy, and swagger that define the God of Thunder, Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake as emotionally burned-out and physically battered almost all the time. It is easily one of the rawest performances of his career. That stripped-down approach works perfectly for the franchise. Tyler Rake is not a superhero or a genius strategist. He survives through grit, endurance, and sheer physical punishment. Hemsworth fully commits to that exhaustion, which makes the action feel even more intense. By the time Extraction 2 reaches its relentless prison escape sequence, Rake looks like someone surviving on instinct alone. The franchise also succeeds because Hemsworth clearly thrives inside this style of filmmaking. Hargrave’s stunt-heavy direction allows him to showcase a much more physical version of movie stardom than audiences usually see in modern blockbusters. The long-take sequences only work because Hemsworth is willing to throw himself completely into the choreography instead of relying on quick edits or obvious stunt doubles. More importantly, Extraction finally gave Hemsworth a major franchise victory outside the Marvel machine. Films like Men in Black: International and The Huntsman struggled commercially, while acclaimed performances in Rush and Furiosa existed inside ensemble worlds or established IP. Tyler Rake, however, belongs entirely to Hemsworth. He carries the franchise through physicality alone, proving he can anchor a major action series without a superhero cape. Netflix's Extraction 3 Is In The Works And Will Release Next Year Following the success of Extraction 2, Netflix officially greenlit a third installment, with Sam Hargrave returning to direct. Production is scheduled to begin in Sydney, Australia, in June 2026, giving the franchise an entirely new visual backdrop after previous installments moved through India, Bangladesh, Austria, and Eastern Europe. Related Chris Hemsworth's Extraction 3 Confirmed At Netflix As Sequel Gets Official Filming Timeline Chris Hemsworth is officially returning to his hit Netflix action franchise as Extraction 3's development has been greenlit by the streamer. The next film is also bringing some major creative shifts behind the scenes. David Weil has reportedly taken over screenwriting duties from Joe Russo, while Idris Elba’s mysterious Alcott character is expected to play a significantly larger role following his brief introduction in the sequel. His involvement hints that Extraction 3 may push deeper into the politics and structure of this expanding mercenary world. Netflix is clearly treating Extraction as one of its safest blockbuster bets moving forward, and honestly, the confidence makes sense. In an era where many streaming action movies feel disposable almost immediately after release, this franchise has built an actual identity rooted in brutal stunt work, grounded action, and a genuinely committed movie-star performance from Hemsworth. And with only two films currently available, catching up before Extraction 3 arrives is dangerously easy.