By Nur Shahira
Image via Netflix
Extraction is an action-thriller film directed by Sam Hargraves that was released by Netflix on April 24, 2020. This film is Hargraves’s feature debut and is written by ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Anthony and Joe Russo, Leon Gonzalez and Eric Skillman. This $65 million budget film is also based on Ciudad, a 2014 graphic novel produced by Ande Parks.
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, an Australian mercenary hired to rescue an Indian druglord’s son, Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) from the grip of his Bangladeshi rival, Amir (Priyanshu Painyuli). Upon discovering that Ovi is missing and his men slain, Amir ordered the corrupt police to seal the city while also employing his remaining men (and children) to find Ovi and Rake.
Intent on bringing Ovi to safety, Rake soldiers through the bloodbath on their way to the extraction site. This movie has all the elements mostly associated with the action genre – the guns (and grenades), the impromptu car race, a lot of bloody deaths – but the most interesting part of this film is the setting.
Set mostly in Mumbai and Bangladesh, this film takes viewers to places they rarely see. Unlike popular tourist spots like Paris and Italy, these parts of the world rarely get into the picture in the Hollywood film scene. While Indian movies have made a name for themselves in their own Bollywood circle and occasionally received international awards as well as critics for it, some successful American/British-Indian films have been made such as Slumdog Millionaire.
In this film, viewers are treated to the harsh streets of Bangladesh where many roads are still unpaved with dust spraying every time a car drove by. With many of its people still struggling to make a living, is it any wonder that children are exploited by drug lords to do their dirty work as depicted in the movie?
Extraction focuses more on the action and plot instead of the characters although there are a few scenes where the viewers are informed of an important piece in Rake’s past and shown another side of Rake when he talks to Ovi. Unlike some other films of a similar genre, it lacks the wit and humour that would have spiced it up a little more. Having been a stuntman, stunt coordinator and second-unit director on several Avengers films, it’s no wonder Hargraves nailed the action scenes in the film.
This film provides a fresh change of scenery for those looking for a new landscape to set their eyes on. With grenades, guns, the old fist fight – you name it – this movie is packed full of it, perfect for the thriller-action lovers out there.
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