The year has already been packed with strong action films from around the world, and one of the most notable, lesser-known entries has now been added to Netflix. Land of Evila military action thriller starring Russell Crowe and the other two Hemsworth brothers, is a thrilling ride with strong characters and a typically cantankerous Crowe performance.
After a rescue mission in the Philippines goes wrong, a drone pilot (Crowe) is tasked with helping his endangered team (Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, Milo Ventimiglia) on the ground. Faced with army bureaucracy and a funny recurring bit where he gets annoyed by the other soldiers on his base watching March Madness, Crowe’s drone pilot does everything he can to help his team from thousands of miles away as the team encounters enemy forces as they attempt to escape the jungle.
By Underwater director William Eubank, Land of Evil is a straightforward genre exercise that prioritizes strong execution over rewriting the book. The action scenes, largely shootouts mixed with some drone warfare, are tense and exciting, with impressive sets for a modest $18.7 million budget.
Image: The Avenue
Both Hemsworths are strong, especially Liam, who co-directs the film with Crowe. Milo Ventimiglia is very convincing as a special forces soldier, and Crowe is terrific as the deskbound drone pilot Eddie “Reaper” Grimm, all piss and vinegar at his superiors and pure devotion to his team. It’s another fun, unusual, cantankerous role for Crowe at a time in his career when he’s increasingly doing that.
If you’re looking for a pensive war film that takes a stance on the meaning of conflict or attempts to interrogate the genre, look elsewhere. But if a military thriller with strong, tense tactical action sequences, a game cast, and strong character beats to make it feel real is more your thing, then you should definitely check out Land of Evil.
Land of Evil is now available on Netflix.