Extraction (2020)

Extraction (2020)

7/10

Starring

Chris Hemsworth

Rudhraksh Jaiswal

Randeep Hooda

Golshifteh Farahani

Directed by Sam Hargrave

Extraction is available on Netflix, and during this lockdown, it’s been one of the few things truly worth watching. I must be honest, the hype about this movie made me watch it with a lot of skepticism of, “how good can it truly be?” When I finally saw it I was amazed by how much invested I was in the movie, and how I found myself carried away forgetting that, the good guys always win in the end.

The story isn’t particularly groundbreaking, and it is definitely below the standard I’d expect from the Russo brothers. That said, the violence, stunts, and action scenes more than make up for the story’s shortcomings.

My main issue with the plot is the double-cross. You can kind of see it coming. The person who does it hints at it earlier in the movie, so when it finally happens, you’re just like, “Oh, okay.”

Chris Hemsworth is absolutely magnificent in this movie. The way he handles the close-up fight scenes, including the shooting and knife work, is reminiscent of the John Wick movies. The cinematography, especially the single-camera close-up shots, is top-notch.

The plot is straightforward: Two crime lords are at war. One is in prison, still pulling strings, while the other kidnaps the imprisoned crime lord’s son. Desperate, the father orders his henchman to find a way to rescue his son—or face losing his own family.

The henchman hires a team of mercenaries led by Tyler (Chris Hemsworth) to retrieve the boy (Rudhraksh Jaiswal). The rescue goes smoothly at first, but the crime lord isn’t just any player—he controls the army and special forces in India. He sends them, along with every hoodlum he can muster, after the mercenaries.

As if that wasn’t enough, another player enters the fray, also after the boy. What was supposed to be a simple extraction turns into a chaotic bloodbath, with a staggering body count.

Rudhraksh Jaiswal delivers a fantastic performance, holding his own alongside Hemsworth.

Kudos to director Sam Hargrave. Known for his work as a stunt coordinator with the Russo brothers, this was his directorial debut, and it’s impressive from start to finish.

Extraction has all the elements of a blockbuster. Even though it’s owned by Netflix, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a sequel in the works.

It would be exciting to see another mission or mercenary story featuring Hemsworth and Jaiswal again.