For many, Netflix remains the go-to streaming service. Boasting a mᴀssive library of originals and licensed content alike, the streamer seemingly has something for everyone, including those looking for action movies. Netflix has invested heavily in the genre, putting out a variety of films over the past five years, often with big stars. Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, for example, was a mᴀssive hit in 2020, and Extraction 2 was even bigger in 2023, earning more positive reviews than its predecessor.

In terms of reviews, Netflix originals have a spotty track record, including in the action genre. Though Extraction 2 was well-received, the response to The Gray Man (2022) was far more mixed, and the response to Heart of Stone (2023) was overwhelmingly negative. Still, despite more mixed responses from critics, many Netflix movies succeed anyway when it comes to viewership, and that’s exactly what’s happened with a 2025 original action thriller from the streamer.

Ad Vitam Has Just Crossed A Major Netflix Viewership Milestone

The Netflix Action Movie Has Been A Big Hit

Ad Vitam has just entered a top-10 Netflix movies list after only one month. Directed by Rodolphe Lauga, Ad Vitam stars Guillaume Canet as Franck Lazareff, a French former law enforcement officer who must leap into action after his pregnant wife is kidnapped. Reviews for the action thriller haven’t been overly positive and the film has only a 43% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the film has been a strong performer in terms of viewership since its release on Netflix on January 10, 2025.

New data from Netflix reveals that Ad Vitam has just become the tenth most popular non-English language movie ever on the streaming service. The action thriller boasts 89 million hours viewed and 54.5 million views in total, and comes in behind movies like My Name is Vendetta (2022) and Blood Red Sky (2021), with Troll (2022) claiming the top spot. Check out the full 10 top list below:

What Ad Vitam’s New Top 10 Position Means For Netflix

Breaking Down The Streamer’s Top 10 Non-English Movies

Accompanying Ad Vitam‘s 43% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes is a 32% audience score. The two scores suggest those who watch the movie aren’t actually enjoying it all that much, and yet it’s still been a mᴀssive viewership success. It’s also not the only movie on the top 10 list to earn lackluster or mixed reviews, with Under Paris scoring only 30% from audiences and Through My Window scoring 30%. Even Troll, Netflix’s most-watched non-English movie ever, has only a 50% score from audiences.

Now, Rotten Tomatoes scores, both those for critics and audiences, don’t paint a full picture of a movie’s reception, but it’s still curious that movies that large numbers of people don’t seem to like can catch on and become such big hits. It’s a similar story on the English language top 10. This could speak to the power of Netflix’s algorithm, as the streamer will obviously recommend its original programming to subscribers more aggressively. Negative reception aside, it’s clear that Ad Vitam has been a big viewership draw, and a sequel announcement could be on the way.

Source: Netflix