Netflix Hit: Brolin's Border Thriller Climbs Global Charts
Taylor Sheridan's gritty cartel sequel starring Josh Brolin has quietly become one of Netflix's most-watched films worldwide, despite mixed reviews and comparisons to its acclaimed predecessor.
A Taylor Sheridan crime thriller that divided critics when it hit theaters in 2018 has found new life on Netflix, climbing rapidly through the platform's global rankings. The sequel to one of the most praised action films of the decade appeared on the streaming service this January without much fanfare.
Sheridan, who built his television empire with Yellowstone and its expanding universe of spinoffs including 1923 and Landman, originally made his mark writing screenplays for acclaimed films like Hell or High Water and Wind River. His script for Denis Villeneuve's original border thriller became a critical darling, earning widespread praise for its unflinching look at the drug war.
Brolin Takes Center Stage
The follow-up film now sits at number seven on Netflix's worldwide weekly rankings. Josh Brolin returns as the morally ambiguous operative Matt Graver, this time taking the lead role. Benicio Del Toro and Jeffrey Donovan reprise their characters, while newcomers include Isabela Merced, Catherine Keener, and Matthew Modine.
Stefano Sollima stepped in to direct after Villeneuve moved on to other projects. The story shifts focus from Emily Blunt's FBI agent to Brolin's character as he faces a new crisis along the US-Mexico border.
Cartels and Terrorism Collide
The plot centers on Mexican drug organizations smuggling terrorists across the border into American territory. Graver reunites with the enigmatic mercenary Alejandro to execute a dangerous plan involving the kidnapping of a cartel leader's daughter.
According to the official description: "FBI agent Matt Graver calls on mysterious operative Alejandro Gillick when Mexican drug cartels start to smuggle terrorists across the U.S. border. The war escalates even further when Alejandro kidnaps a top kingpin's daughter to deliberately increase the tensions. When the young girl is seen as collateral damage, the two men will determine her fate as they question everything that they are fighting for."
Mixed Reception Doesn't Stop Streaming Success
Critics gave the sequel a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences slightly more generous at 66%. These numbers pale compared to the original's impressive 91% critical score and 85% audience rating.
Some viewers defended the film passionately. One Rotten Tomatoes user called it "A masterpiece, just like the first film... Some folks didn't have the patience to embrace this 2nd piece to the story. But it is beautiful, start to finish."
Most critics found the screenplay less focused than its predecessor. The visual storytelling and underlying tension that made Villeneuve's version so effective seemed absent from Sollima's approach. The subtext that gave weight to the original story felt diluted in this continuation.