Man On Fire Review: Netflix’s Explosive & Heart-Pounding Thriller Is A Must-Watch

Netflix’s Man on Fire is as adrenaline-filled as it is heartfelt, making it one of the best thrillers out there. The character John Creasy started out in A.J. Quinnell’s Man on Fire book series, and has appeared on-screen twice. Expectations were high going into the 2026 TV show because Denzel Washington’s 2004 Man on Fire was horribly rated by critics but absolutely loved by audiences.

Luckily, the creative team on Netflix’s Man on Fire opted not to remake the Denzel Washington movie. The series is instead a loose adaptation of Quinnell’s first two books, with an emphasis on the word “loose.”

The Netflix TV show follows a former special forces veteran named John Creasy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is brought to Rio de Janeiro to maintain safety during an election. After a terrorist attack, he has to protect a rebellious teen girl named Poe (Billie Boullet). Along the way, they get help from a driver named Valeria Melo (Alice Braga) and a teen Brazilian boy named Livro.

Netflix’s action-thriller TV series presents a very different story from every version before, and that’s part of what makes it incredible. Story elements and moments are familiar without being a complete ripoff. The show introduces a whole new group of lovable characters, puts them in dangerous scenarios, and watches as they try to stay alive. Thankfully, the writing and character development are so on point that every plot decision makes sense based on the backgrounds and personalities of the fictional individuals involved.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is the Heart & Soul Of Man On Fire

While every actor in Man on Fire does a fantastic job bringing their characters to life, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is truly the heart and soul of the show.

Throughout the Netflix series, John Creasy tortures people for information with flesh-eating acid and finger mutilation. There’s no question that his path to vengeance is dark, making it hard to like Creasy at times. However, the writers and Abdul-Mateen resisted the urge to flatten the character. Instead, Abdul-Mateen’s John Creasy is an incredibly complex individual who presents many contradictory traits at once.

He’s brusque, but he’s caring. He’s distant, but he’s protective. He thinks out his every move, but he acts recklessly. He’s vicious, but he presents a gentler version of himself to Poe. He’s wicked smart, but he makes foolish choices in the name of vengeance. John Creasy is angry, sad, hurt, scared, and truly the most human action hero out there.

Abdul-Mateen clearly approached this character not from a place of judgment but from compassion. He embraced the layers of John Creasy, even when some of them weren’t pretty. The actor perfectly conveyed all these quiet feelings that bubbled beneath the surface as Creasy committed deplorable acts.

If all that weren’t enough, Yahya Abdull-Mateen II has one raw and emotional scene towards the end of the show that’s absolutely tear-jerking. I can’t tell you more than that because it would include big spoilers, but the moment cements Man on Fire as one of Abdul-Mateen’s best roles of all time.

Man On Fire’s Action Sequences Are Top-Notch

Another part of Man on Fire that really worked is the action and fight sequences. Great live-action fights have purpose, good choreography, stakes, great stunt performers and/or trained actors, and emotional impact. Man on Fire hits every single one of these criteria. While it’s a team effort, the supervising stunt supervisor, Henry Kingi Jr., and the fight coordinators, David Will No and Malay Kim, deserve serious props for this success.

The choreography feels gritty and understated, never coming across as the elevated style common to action movies. At times, the fight sequences don’t even feel like choreography. Every action scene had a narrative purpose and serious repercussions. They never felt frivolous.

What’s more, a small detail that made these scenes A+ is that the characters in Man on Fire fought in different ways. The coordinators catered each sequence to the characters involved.

The few times Poe fought, she handled herself like a teen girl with minimal self-defense abilities. Favela gang members in Rio had more skills than her with a gun, but nothing close to the FRP organization. Members of the FRP had more advanced skills than that, but not to the level of military members, and so on.

The most advanced individual, of course, was John Creasy. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s athletic background and elite tactical gun training are extremely noticeable. Every move feels intentional. When Creasy wields a weapon, it feels like second nature. I never questioned whether this character had undergone military training because it felt so authentic. Even his posture and way of speaking remind me of the service members I grew up around as a military brat.

The only weakness in action and fighting comes from a character with a military background, whom I cannot name due to spoilers. They were supposed to be in an elite squadron, but they barely seemed like they could fight in hand-to-hand combat. However, this is such a tiny error that I’m happy to overlook it.

Netflix’s Man On Fire Is A Deep Exploration Of Trauma & Healing

Courtesy of Netflix

If Netflix’s original show were just a generic action-thriller, it would be the intellectual equivalent of comfort food. The show would be enjoyable to consume, ultimately forgettable. However, Man on Fire rises above this by exploring difficult topics and relaying important messages that linger long after the credits roll in the final episode.

Man on Fire’s depiction of trauma and grief is nuanced and thoughtful. As someone with a background in psychology and previous experience as a mental health journalist, I appreciate that the story approaches these mental health topics carefully, never minimizing the impact, while also not defining the characters by their worst experiences.

The prime example of this is John Creasy. He has nightmares, flashbacks, and a debilitating freeze and faint response to trauma triggers. He socially isolates and drinks. He can’t sleep without a bag over his head, which is directly connected to his trauma. However, that’s not all there is to Creasy. He’s also compassionate and protective of his loved ones.

Another important theme is transformation through connection. At its core, Man on Fire is a story about people saving each other. Poe saves John Creasy by reminding him that love and connection are possible. Melo saves Poe by letting her process her experiences through talking and just sitting together. Poe saves Livro by treating him as an equal.

It’s rare for a story with such a brutal and violent edge to have such a heartfelt message at the core. The Netflix show is truly something special. Ultimately, this deeper level makes Netflix’s Man on Fire a must-watch.

All 7 episodes of Man on Fire are available on Netflix on Thursday, April 30th.

Release Date

April 29, 2026

Network

Netflix

Episodes

7