Forget Reacher: Netflix’s Unhinged Alan Ritchson Thriller Is Officially Among the Year’s Best
A training exercise turns deadly
War Machine, directed and co-written by Patrick Hughes, follows an unnamed soldier played by Ritchson. Known by the designation 81, he is training to join the Army Rangers and nearing the end of a test called the Death March.
During the exercise, the soldiers are supposed to destroy a prototype aircraft. They discover it is an advanced alien machine that begins killing them, turning their training into a fight to survive. The movie’s action has been described as “The Terminator meets The Hurt Locker.”
Grief shapes 81’s choices
Before the machine appears, 81 loses his brother, played by Jai Courtney, during a firefight. His guilt and grief push him toward greater risks and cause his superiors to question his judgment.
The alien attack forces 81 to depend on the other soldiers. He also takes on a leadership role that he had previously resisted, shifting from a troubled trainee toward a more capable leader.
Ritchson anchors the story
Ritchson gives the film an emotional center, gradually revealing a more open side beneath 81’s guarded exterior. Stephan James plays fellow Ranger trainee 7, while Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales portray superior officers.
War Machine develops its characters while delivering action built around soldiers facing alien machinery. In contrast, Reacher is described as having a predictable but dependable formula, while Motor City is characterized as prioritizing its no-dialogue gimmick over its story.
Key points
- War Machine became one of Netflix’s biggest movies, with Alan Ritchson in the lead role.
- Ritchson plays 81, an Army Rangers trainee facing an alien machine during the Death March.
- The story links 81’s grief over his brother to his risky choices and reluctance to lead.
- The film combines action with character development, setting it apart from Ritchson’s role in Reacher.