Back In Action Is Still Holding Steady, But Netflix’s No. 2 Movie Right Now Is A Surprise

For the past two weeks, Back in Action has been No. 1 on Netflix. Reuniting after starring in Annie back in 2014, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz play a married couple brought back into their former life of espionage after their identities are revealed. While Back in Action is still holding steady within the Netflix Top Ten, there’s a surprising movie that’s sitting comfortably at No. 2.

While Back in Action received some brutal reactions from critics and a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 27%, it’s still no surprise why the 2025 Netflix movie has high ratings from Netflix subscribers. Back in Action is like art imitating life seeing the return of Cameron Diaz, who un-retired from acting after a decade, and Jamie Foxx, who audiences are happy to see again after being hospitalized for a “medical complication.” With the two stars literally “back in action,” it’s natural for audiences to want to see the duo star in a fun, entertaining movie.

Back in Action may not be the No. 1 movie for those with a Netflix subscription anymore, but it’s still holding steady in its No. 3 spot. If you’re curious which film dethroned the Netflix Original, it may come as a surprise to you. The No. 2 movie on Netflix is not another Netflix Original, but the action-thriller film American Renegades.

Starring Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton and Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, it’s a real head-scratcher why so many people are quick to see American Renegades more than Back in Action. It was widely panned by critics on Rotten Tomatoes calling it “messy,” “aggressively dumb,” and “largely gung-ho nonsense.” Its score by critics and audiences were both equally rotten with 11% on the Tomatometer and 40% on the Popcornmeter.

But as American Renegades was a recent addition to Netflix’s content library on February 1st, Netflix users could have taken interest in the 2017 flick because of its cool plot of Navy SEALS who are to retrieve Nazi stolen gold in a bank vault located at the bottom of a Bosnian lake. Plus, J.K. Simmons is frequently gives great performances, and Taken’s Luc Besson serves as co-writer of the movie. So with this in mind, I can understand Netflix subscribers wanting to give American Renegades a chance.

So, we know that Back in Action is No. 3 and American Renegades is one spot above. What movie has conquered the two flicks in its No. 1 spot? That would be one of the top movies of 2022, The Menu. It was a real treat (ignore the pun) to see the horror-comedy hit the highest Netflix Top 10 spot considering what a well-crafted movie it was. Starring Ralph Fiennes, a young couple travels to a remote island where a world-renowned chef shows revenge really is a dish best served cold to teach his elite guests about appreciating the art of the food. You’ll want to watch this movie over a nice dinner or at least some fresh popcorn, as the Golden Globe-nominated movie is bound to make you irrationally hungry.

The panned American Renegades may have defeated Back in Action in the Netflix Top 10 at No. 2. But, it shows that audiences still crave fast-paced, high-stakes action movies despite what the critics have to say. If you have an appetite (here I go again) for movies that are sitting comfortably in the Netflix Top Ten, check them out now!