Netflix Jason Statham Dark Thriller Is A Surprise Hit

The story begins on the streets of London when Joseph Smith (Jason Statham), a fugitive ex-Special Forces soldier and a homeless drunk, finds himself on the run from a gang of thugs. Desperate for refuge, he breaks into an apartment belonging to Damon (Danny Webb), a successful photographer who is away for the next eight months.

Joseph (Jason Statham) seizes the opportunity and begins squatting in the apartment. He also starts calling himself Joey Jones while using Damon’s resources to find his friend Isabel (Victoria Bewick). Pretending to be Damon’s boyfriend, Joseph takes a job at a Chinese restaurant, catching the eye of senior manager Mr. Choy, who is involved with a Chinese organized crime syndicate.

Joseph (Jason Statham) soon becomes a driver and enforcer for Mr. Choy (Benedict Wong). Determined to help the homeless and seek justice for Isabel, Joseph uses the money he earns to buy food for the needy at the local soup kitchen run by Polish nun Sister Cristina (Agata Buzek), who informs him of Isabel’s tragic fate.

Enraged, Joseph (Jason Statham) confronts the thugs responsible and extracts information about the killer. With the help of the powerful boss of the Chinese syndicate, Joseph learns the identity of the murderer. Along the way, his bond with Christina grows stronger. She later confides in him about her dark past, revealing a history of abuse and murder.

Redemption reaches a climax at a rooftop cocktail party, where Joseph confronts Isabel’s killer. The movie earned a dismal $12.6 million at the global box office and was considered a financial failure based on its $20 million budget. The film didn’t fare well with critics either, as it currently holds a 47 percent rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

The critical consensus states that while Redemption attempts to transcend the typical Jason Statham action thriller by addressing deeper themes, it falls short of fully capitalizing on its premise despite Statham’s commendable and dedicated performance. Audiences didn’t care much for the film either, as evidenced by its 38 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.

Most of the filming for Redemption took place at night, using streets frequented by homeless individuals, some of whom actively participated in the production. Jason Statham mentioned that extensive research was conducted before filming commenced, delving into the mental health challenges faced by his character.

Jason Statham is rumored to star in Levon’s Trade, based on the novel of the same name, where he will play a former Black Ops soldier forced to use his skills again. He is also reportedly set to star in Small Dark Look, although details about the film are currently limited.

Jason Statham’s movies like Redemption have been successful on streaming platforms. In December 2023, his film Meg 2: The Trench secured the fifth spot in Netflix’s weekly rankings, demonstrating the actor’s popularity with fans. Statham’s 2024 movie The Beekeeper has also been successful, earning over $133 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2024 to date.