MOVIE REVIEW – In Exterritorial from Netflix, Americans are portrayed not as heroes, but as treacherous allies, corrupt drug traffickers, and cold-blooded bureaucrats — abducting children and Belarusian refugees, selling classified intelligence to common enemies, and doing everything they can to silence a German woman they’ve lured into a trap. All of them wear the stars and stripes and pledge allegiance to a system that turns a blind eye to its own crimes.

I’ll be honest — action movies rarely do it for me. Most of the time, the characters feel recycled, the stakes are artificial, and the endless punching grows old fast. But when the action is fueled by something visceral, something that resonates — whether it’s a pounding drumbeat that syncs with a rising tension or a mission you can actually root for — then it becomes something more. Female-led action flicks are typically built on two templates: family duty or revenge after assault. Exterritorial leans on the former. Sara, a former Bundeswehr soldier, storms the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt with one goal: finding her missing son. She’s battling PTSD and quickly realizes she’s completely alone in a building full of people who all seem to be working against her.

The Action Packs a Punch

If we’re judging the film purely by its action set pieces, it holds its own. Fans of jacked heroines are in for a treat — expect sweaty hand-to-hand combat in showers and adrenaline-fueled escapes through windows. The choreography is tight, the pacing during these moments is snappy. The real issues begin when you look beyond the punches. Exterritorial unfolds almost entirely within the walls of a single building — the consulate — and unfortunately, the location never evolves into anything more than a maze of locked doors and empty corridors. It ends up feeling more like a convoluted FPS map than a functioning government facility. Since when do embassies double as hideouts for fugitives and cartel drop zones? Hollywood logic, I guess.

The movie often mistakes loud music for genuine suspense. Instead of building tension organically, it cranks up the volume and hopes for the best. The core concept itself feels flimsy — this is peak “Netflix action-thriller” formula: polished surface, hollow interior. The plot lacks depth, and as a result, the action loses impact. Sometimes, mindless spectacle works when a film openly embraces that identity. But here, it tries to split the difference — to be both serious and sensational — and that’s exactly where it falls apart.

One Strong Lead, Plenty of Wasted Potential

Jeanne Goursaud delivers a committed, physical performance as Sara. The moment we meet her, slick with sweat and rage, you know she means business. Her movements are precise, and she carries the action scenes with ease. Dougray Scott plays Erik with just enough gruffness, though his mustache and demeanor veer dangerously close to caricature. Still, his scenes with Sara — especially when it touches on their roles as parents — add a much-needed emotional undertone. Erik could’ve been a more layered character if he’d had more screen time, but the spotlight never strays far from Sara. That’s fine, but it leaves the rest of the cast stranded in the background.

Lera Abova’s Irina also feels criminally underused. She’s got the look and presence, but the script doesn’t give her enough to do. A more collaborative escape scenario between Sara and Irina could’ve injected energy into the second half. The film is German, technically, but the setting and language mix make it feel halfway English — and if you’re watching it dubbed, you’re missing the hybrid vibe entirely. Instead, it plays like a generic action flick that could’ve aired on any streaming platform anywhere. That little sliver of uniqueness? Gone.

And to be clear: Exterritorial isn’t bad. But it’s not good either. It’s lazy. All the ingredients are there for a tense, confined thriller — but the film never really leans in. Everything feels recycled: the characters, the arcs, the inevitable “they’ll make it” ending. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat when Sara and Irina scrambled for data while danger loomed. I already knew they’d escape. The only mystery was how the movie would try (and fail) to convince me they might not.

Serviceable, But Instantly Forgettable

This isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s decently put together — just ultimately dull. The pacing isn’t bad, but there’s not enough happening to justify the runtime. It’s not predictably bad, but it is predictable in the sense that you’ve seen every beat before. Like a pre-packaged snack — manufactured, familiar, and gone before you even remember what it tasted like.

If you can stomach a few narrative holes and just want something fast-paced in a single location, Exterritorial might scratch that itch. But if you’re after originality, twists, or any real emotional punch, you’re in the wrong building. One particular late scene is so dumb it momentarily derails everything — and while it’s not catastrophic, it is frustrating.

– Gergely Herpai “BadSector” –