“Point Blank,” a crime thrillerstarring Captain America’s star Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo, is one of the most-watched movies on Netflix globally as of January 22, according to FlixPatrol. The film, which was originally released in 2019, has climbed to the sixth position of the Top 10 at the start of this week.
The film was directed by Joe Lynch, who is known for movies such as “Creepshow” (2021) or “Suitable Flesh” (2023). The story follows an ER nurse (Mackie), who is forced to spring a wounded murder suspect named Abe (Grillo) from the hospital when the man’s brother kidnaps his pregnant wife and wants to make a trade.
Apart from Mackie and Grillo, the film also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Teyonah Parris, Boris McGiver, and Markice Moore. The movie is a remake of the 2010 French film, “À bout portant,” directed by Fred Cavayé, who co-wrote the script with Guillaume Lemans.
Point Blank is a homage to 80’s remakes
In an interview with Decider, Grillo, who also produced the movie, explained that the idea came from the producing company that made the original film. The new script was written by Adam Simon, who is known for movies such as Man Down. He also appears in the film as an officer.
Grillo explained that in post-production, the team came up with the idea of making the film as an “homage to those ’80s action thrillers. We nurtured this thing from an idea to the page. It was kind of like giving birth.”
However, while the film is being embraced by audiences, critics weren’t that enthusiasts of the movie. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising the action and humorous moments of the film, but stating that the characters were undeveloped. It holds a 40% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Curiously, the movie isn’t the first remake of the French movie. There is a 2014 South Korean remake titled “The Target,” which starred Ryu Seung-ryong and Lee Jin-wook. Also in 2019, another remake, the Bangladeshi “Password” was released.
In another curiosity, this isn’t the first time that Mackie and Grillo worked together. The actors previously collaborated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Mackie played Sam Wilson/Falcon and Grillo portrayed Brock Rumlow/Crossbones.