Man on Fire Review: A. J. Quinnell’s novel has been remade twice – in 1987 starring Scott Glenn and in 2004 starring Denzel Washington. The latter was a smash hit and one of Washington’s most memorable performances. The 2026 Netflix remake attempts to deepen the story, turning it into a more character-driven thriller and bringing forth a deeper character study. Alas, the results might not be as even as one might expect.
-
Man on Fire Netflix Cast
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Billie Boullet, Alice Braga, Scoot McNairy, Bobby Cannavale, Thomás Aquino, Pâmela Germano, Billy Blanco Jr., Ismael Caneppele, Ravel Cabral
-
Man on Fire Series Directors
Steven Caple Jr., Clare Kilner, Vicente Amorim, Michael Cuesta
-
Man on Fire 2026 Creator & Showrunner
Clare Kilner
The series, based on A. J. Quinnell’s 1980 thriller novel of the same name, has 7 episodes, each with a runtime of around 50 minutes.
Man on Fire Review
Plot & overview
The series is based on former Special Forces mercenary John Creasy, who is suffering from PTSD after a job went wrong. We follow his journey 4 years after these events, wherein he has lost his sense of purpose and has frequent nightmares about the situation. Of course, this broken man is pulled into doing more dirty work when a devastating attack targets a close friend’s daughter. He attempts to protect her and get revenge, pushing him further into violence, something that he had hoped to leave behind him.
While the previous iterations of the novel focused more on the action, this series attempts to use its longer runtime to draw an intimate look into Creasy’s psyche. It’s as much about the psychological scars of being a mercenary and the grief and trauma that follow as it is about vengeance.
Themes & tone
As mentioned previously, Man on Fire has two sides to its storytelling – one explores Creasy’s trauma, loss and redemption while the other focuses on high-octane action spectacle. The former attempts to bind us to Creasy’s character and see him as something beyond a killing machine, bringing forth the man underneath who is like the rest of us. The latter, on the other hand, glues us to the screen with implausible action sequences, attempting to entertain us and keep us hooked.
These two sequences are, no doubt, a winning combination, having been used incessantly previously in several other similar shows (some of which are on Netflix itself). However, after the ‘nth’ series focusing on similar topics, the series feels hollow and follows a formula, rather than an honest interpretation of a man who commits violence as an extension of his pain.
Direction & execution
Creator & showrunner Clare Kilner, along with the directors, opt for a darker and moodier version of Man on Fire that is unable to handle balancing the slower gravitas with narrative and pacing issues that plague the runtime. Albeit interesting and with a serious tone throughout, the series gets very slow and boring, especially when it uses a lot of its time droning on and on about “serious” things.
Unfortunately, this sense of narrative bloat riddles the series with unnecessary subplots and dilutes the tension. As a result, viewers will find themselves skipping some of its less sharp sequences.
Performances
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is fantastic as Creasy and brings gravitas to the role that makes him the strongest asset. He embodies Creasy’s deep wounds and danger by using a brooding physicality and emotional depth. He’s relatable in this journey, as he is extremely competent during action sequences, and although some of it feels a bit overdone and silly, you believe Creasy and his mission without skipping a beat.
Unfortunately for Abdul-Mateen II, though, the script turns out to be his biggest enemy and fails him at crucial moments. He tries to bring a layered performance to the table, but the revenge framework traps his talent and makes it quite disappointing to witness.
What works
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the most enjoyable and believable part of the show, who, despite a very generic script, is able to capture his character’s wounds and power with equal ease. The series also does a good job at giving Creasy something more than an action set piece and attempts to add emotional depth that makes it much more complex. Lastly, the action sequences are also well done and gripping when you need them.
What doesn’t work
First and foremost, the script is repetitive and generic and adds nothing new to the genre. Despite being a beloved character we have seen before, the longer runtime doesn’t do anything new, and the pacing heavily suffers because of it. Moreover, the series completely misses the point of what is realistic and what is spectacle, making Creasy do these wild stunts that should be possible unless you’re a super soldier. It sticks out like a sore thumb and becomes hilarious instead of arresting. Lastly, the supporting characters seem to exist to push Creasy’s narrative forward instead of being realistic human beings.
Final Thoughts
Man on Fire is an ambitious reimagining of the 1987 novel that fails to capture the thrill and nuance of the source material… or the films that followed. It tries to balance emotional depth with heart-thumping action but fails to deliver on both. While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the best parts of the show, the script fails to support his performance, turning this series into another generic watch that is only entertaining in bursts.
What are your thoughts on Man on Fire? Let us know in the comments below!
Also Read:
- Man on Fire Ending Explained: Does Creasy Find Revenge and Redemption?
- Gold Land Review: A Gritty Crime Thriller That Stumbles on Genre Cliches
- Imperfect Women Ending Explained: The Real Story Behind Nancy’s Death and What It Means
- 5 Shows Like If Wishes Could Kill That Explore Sinister Wishes, Dark Consequences and Supernatural Games