Plot: Once a high-functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary, known for surviving even the most desolate of situations, John Creasy is now plagued with intense PTSD. Determined to overcome his personal demons, he sets out on a path to redemption. But, before he can adjust to this new life, he finds himself back in the fire, fighting harder than ever.
Review: The 2004 Tony Scott film Man on Fire, a remake of the 1987 Scott Glenn film and the 1980 novel, is one of the best action movies ever. A personal favorite, I was indifferent to the announcement that Netflix would be making its own version as a television series. With the casting of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead role of John Creasy, my interest piqued a bit. Having now seen the seven-episode series, I am beyond excited for everyone to check out this new Man on Fire. Keeping the core character the same as in Denzel Washington’s version, this new series is an all-new story that shares only thematic connections with the previous films while still delivering intense action sequences. A very entertaining thriller that still puts a man on a quest for revenge, Man on Fire is really, really damn good.
The new version of Man on Fire still follows Special Forces mercenary-turned-C.I.A. operative John Creasy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). The series opens with the botched operation that takes Creasy out of active duty due to extreme PTSD. Drinking heavily and borderline suicidal, Creasy’s former comrade and friend, Paul Rayburn (Bobby Cannavale taking on the role played by Christopher Walken), enlists his talents for a private job in Brazil. While traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Creasy spends time with Blackburn’s family, including his eldest daughter, Poe (Billie Boullet). Tragedy strikes, and Creasy is jarred back into action to exact revenge on those who did him wrong and uses his elite skills to take down terrorists and criminals in equal measure. Within the first episode alone, we learn more about Creasy’s reluctance to get back into work, as well as see him back in the saddle.
Denzel Washington’s version of Creasy was older and spoke few words, but Tony Scott helped craft a film centered on his stoic nature and brutal vengeance that would inform Washington’s later role as The Equalizer. Here, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives one of the best performances of his career. In one sequence, Creasy must contend with his inner demons and allows his emotions to flow freely, while in another, he tortures a suspect using battery acid. There is also a huge airplane sequence landing on a remote road that is far beyond anything in the Man on Fire movies, and that happens in just the second episode. Creasy’s path of destruction is tactical and focused, and Abdul-Mateen II makes it look easy while also giving him a team to work with rather than a one-man operation, as Denzel Washington played in the movie. Creasy is on a path of redemption as much as of revenge, and seeing Abdul-Mateen II play Creasy’s return to trusting others is a highlight of the series.
Because the plot is original and only keeps the main character and a few supporting players, this Man on Fire is a completely new tale and barely qualifies as a remake or even a reboot. The shift from Mexico to Brazil helps mix things up while also giving us new characters to follow. Alice Braga plays Valeria Melo, a local woman dealing with her own loss, who teams up with Creasy. Scoot McNairy portrays Creasy’s CIA handler, who factors into the larger geopolitical parts of the story. The 2004 film focused on private citizens and criminal syndicates, while this series turns the story into something much bigger. The shift towards an espionage-driven plot raises the stakes higher than before while also shifting the story’s style closer to Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 or Netflix’s The Night Agent. But, even with the grander ambitions, Man on Fire is still a showcase for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and he crushes it.
Created by Kyle Killen (Halo, Lone Star, Awake), Man on Fire is even more distinct from the 1980 A.J. Quinnell best-selling novel that served as the inspiration for both movies. The novel dealt with the Mafia in Italy, something that feels dated and a bit cliché in 2026. Killen wrote all seven episodes of the series and evokes the complexity of a novel across this long-form series. At seven episodes, Man on Fire does have some subplots that could have been excised, but it is just long enough not to waste much time and just short enough that you will want to binge it as quickly as possible. The large-scale action sequences benefit from on-location filming in Brazil. Creed II and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts helmer Steven Caple Jr. directed the first two episodes with Vicente Amorim, Clare Kilner, and Michael Questa on the remaining five. Caple Jr. adds no stylistic flourishes that distinguish Tony Scott’s film, but the action is easy to follow, even when it becomes shockingly brutal.
Man on Fire lives up to its big-screen look and feel and is one of the more ambitious remakes in recent memory. Because it is so indistinguishable from the 2004 movie and prior iterations, this new Man on Fire stands on its own as a thrilling, intense action epic of revenge. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has shown his chops in comic book blockbusters like Aquaman and Watchmen, big-budget franchises like The Matrix Resurrections, and even his comedic skills in the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe series Wonder Man, but he delivers one of his most impressive roles as John Creasy. The best I can say is that Tony Scott and Denzel Washington would be proud of this series, and as a massive fan of the 2004 film, I am hopeful we see this Man on Fire develop into an ongoing series and adapt the multiple sequels to the original novel.
Man on Fire is now streaming on Netflix.
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