The Sylvester Stallone Superhero Movie Everyone Overlooked, Stream Without Netflix

Samaritan, which is currently streaming for free on Freevee via Amazon Prime Video, stars Sylvester Stallone in the leading role as an unassuming older gentleman named Joe, who is secretly a presumed-dead superhero in hiding. The film was written by Escape Room screenwriter and Ninjago producer Bragi F. Schut, and directed by Overlord filmmaker Julius Avery. The cast of Samaritan is rounded out with performances by Javon Walton, Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco, Sophia Tatum, Moises Arias, and Stallone’s Tulsa King co-star Martin Starr.

The narrative of Samaritan picks up 25 years after the supposed death of Sylvester Stallone’s titular superhuman, who frequently battled against his twin brother Nemesis. After the two were run out of town by a Frankenstein-esque mob, they engaged in a bloody battle, resulting in a massive explosion at a local power plant. Though many people believe Samaritan to be alive and in hiding years later, the hero has never made himself visible to the public.

That’s where young teen Sam Cleary comes in, as he is attacked by a gang of mischievous youths before being saved by Joe. Though Joe does his best to obfuscate his super-strength in the scuffle, Sam clocks the unmitigated strength of the bystander, and correctly wagers that Joe is the once-great Samaritan. As the plot of Samaritan continues, Sylvester Stallone comes to regain his strength in a bid to save Sam, and the rest of the city, from a growing gang presence which threatens to turn all of Granite City into a nightmarish dystopia.

Samaritan received mostly poor reviews from critics upon release, maligning the film’s pacing, direction, and similarity to works such as Unbreakable as particular weak points. Today, the film touts a paltry critic score of 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, though general audiences were significantly more favorable to the movie, offering a much more palatable 71 percent score. Clearly, the wide audience appeal held for Samaritan has paid off, as Sylvester Stallone has agreed to return for an upcoming sequel film, which is currently in pre-production.

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While I personally think that Samaritan pales in comparison to Sylvester Stallone’s work in 2015’s Creed and the hit Paramount+ series Tulsa King, I still found the film to be one of his best late-stage outings, serving as a simple but effective tale of good vs. evil. For those interested in checking the movie out, Samaritan is currently streaming for free on Amazon Prime Video, via Freevee.