Liam Neeson’s new action thriller has surged up Netflix’s viewership charts following its release. Though not always known as an action star, the release of Taken in 2008 changed that for Neeson, reinforcing just how intimidating he could be in the right roles.

Several lesser Taken sequels followed, but Neeson’s action hero persona quickly expanded beyond this franchise. The actor started regularly appearing in a host of action thrillers of varying quality, most operating in that mid-budget range in which his face and a short тιтle were enough to draw audiences in.

Movies like The Grey (2011), Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), and Run All Night (2015) built up this action side of Neeson’s career, and the actor hasn’t slowed down. He recently appeared in the likes of Cold Pursuit (2019), The Ice Road (2021), and In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023).

Other than Taken, most of Neeson’s action movies don’t get sequels. One recent film, however, was able to break through, and a follow-up adventure just dropped on streaming.

Ice Road: Vengeance Becomes Netflix Hit

Ice Road: Vengeance has driven its way up the Netflix charts in this week’s streaming update. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, the sequel to 2021’s The Ice Road features Neeson back as Mike, this time to face off against mercenaries while attempting to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest.

As of September 17, Ice Road: Vengeance ranks as the number one movie on Netflix in the U.S. The sequel beats The Wrong Paris (2025) and aka Charlie Sheen (2025), and it even managed to pᴀss KPop Demon Hunters (2025). Moving On (2022) and Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025) found out the rest of the top five.

What This Means For Ice Road: Vengeance

Vengeance only just released on Netflix after more or less going straight to VOD, and the film’s success speaks to Neeson’s enduring appeal as a movie star. His face on the film’s tile was probably enough to attract viewers, as that and the тιтle immediately communicate what kind of movie it is. The positive reception to The Naked Gun reboot likely also helped.

Among critics, the response to Neeson’s latest action thriller has not been positive. The film has a dismal 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, with one frequent criticism being that it fails to differentiate itself from any of the last dozen Neeson action movies. In his Ice Road: Vengeance review for ScreenRant, Ben Gibbons goes against the grain, awarding the film seven out of 10.

The Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter score of 29% is also rough, and it suggests most viewers walk away unsatisfied. Still, there’s evidently something to be said about the value of predictability, as numerous user reviews mention that they knew what they were in for within a few minutes of starting the film, yet they still stuck it out.

Ice Road: Vengeance doesn’t seem like it will go down as one of Neeson’s best action movies, but it does appear to have some entertainment value, if only because watching the Taken star punch and shoot people remains satisfying. The film’s streaming success suggests Neeson’s run as an action hero may not be over just yet.