If you were to ask people about Man on Fire, most people would immediately jump to discuss the 2004 Tony Scott thriller starring Denzel Washington. It was a no nonsense tale of revenge made with style and featuring such a great performance from Denzel, it feels like making another adaptation would seem rather futile. Here we are though in 2026, and Netflix have a new series with the same title releasing.
Based on the 1980 novel of the same name, Man on Fire sees John Creasy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) seeking revenge on the streets of Brazil, after a close friend is murdered. With the incident showing ties to political corruption, Creasy must also fight to protect his late friend’s daughter, Poe (Billie Boulet), from the same fate. As a former Special Forces mercenary, Creasy has all the skills to carry out his own form of justice, but PTSD from his dark past always threatens to stop him in his tracks.
Man on Fire opens with a swift but important sequence showing Creasy and his team getting in place for their latest assignment. It feels slick and well-oiled until things go awry and the background to Creasy’s PTSD, that plays a major part later on in the series, is revealed. It’s a trait of the character that stops him from feeling like an unstoppable killing machine, making Creasy a much more complex character than just another action hero. As things develop, we arrive in Brazil as Creasy’s friend Paul Rayburn (Bobby Cannavale) tries to get him back on his feet with some work as part of a top level security detail.
The show piles the misery on Creasy early doors but it’s all necessary to what happens later, his quest for revenge feeling ever so justified. The desire to protect Poe after such traumatic events is admirable, even more so when she approves of his unethical approach to retrieving information from enemies. The dynamic between Creasy and Poe feels estranged to begin with but has the feel of a sibling bond the further the show proceeds. It gives the show a central relationship to focus on, driving the narrative forward, along with subplots that involve corruption and rebellion. Most importantly, it makes you root for them all the way.
Kyle Killen has created an action thriller series that is as strong narratively as it is from an action point of view. The action is high-octane and well choreographed, fleeting between moments of camaraderie as Creasy and his new found crew try to bring those with power down. It all culminates with a season finale within a hospital that includes shootouts and intense hand-to-hand combat that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II opened his year in such strong fashion with Wonder Man, and he continues that success here as John Creasy. He’s always had such a vulnerability to his performances, and he brings that in abundance to Creasy, flashbacks haunting not just his dreams but his mind in the middle of combat. Of course, he has the physicality to match too, but it’s the vulnerable side to the character that he excels at here. There’s a solid ensemble cast along for the ride too; Billie Boulet growing in confidence as Poe Rayburn after being thrust into a world she doesn’t really understand, Alice Braga dependable as ever as a supporting actor in the action genre, and Scoot McNairy’s Henry Tappan an ally of Creasy’s looking to help any way he can from afar.
Man on Fire works so well because it takes its time in telling a story of revenge, allowing characters and their motivations to breathe. While, for me, the Denzel Washington film remains superior, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II shows he’s a powerful force in the acting stakes. Some might say he is THE man on fire right now in Hollywood…
★★★★
On Netflix April 30th / Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Billie Boulet, Alice Braga, Bobby Cannavale, Scoot McNairy / Showrunner: Kyle Killen / Netflix / 15
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