Netflix’s 6 Underground provides accessible entertainment, but reviews have been quite negative overall. Directed by Michael Bay, the $150 million blockbuster capitalizes upon familiar action movie tropes, and sets up an entire franchise. But 6 Underground’s story and logic has confused many viewers since its December 2019 release.
In 6 Underground, Ryan Reynolds stars as a mysterious billionaire known only as One. He aims to take down a vicious dictator named Rovach Alimov, and fakes his own death to stay clear of his former employer – the CIA. In a convenient twist, One earned his massive wealth by developing innovative tracking technology, which allows him to recruit a hit squad that will eliminate bad guys who terrorize civilians.
6 Underground currently has a 34 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The unflattering number is based on 56 reviews from critics all over the world, so it seems that Bay’s Netflix film won’t be racking up any Oscar or Golden Globe nominations. But despite the mostly negative reviews, general audiences have responded rather well to 6 Underground, evidenced by the 65 percent audience score at Rotten Tomatoes, based on approximately 1,500 user ratings. So, what exactly is the reason for the big divide? Here’s what the reviews are saying about 6 Underground.
David Fear – Rolling Stone
“Guns. Ferraris. Parkour. Headshots. Mélanie Laurent. Las Vegas. Luxury yachts. Thong underwear. Incoherence. Xenophobia. Sexism. Auteurism (Vulgar). ‘Merica.”
Jesse Hassenger – The A.V. Club
“What he seems to be chasing is the feeling of freedom, the windswept open-skies exhilaration of a man who has everything. But he’s still just doing donuts, hoping all those whiplash turns from nihilism to macho sentiment awaken something inside him.”
Mark Olsen – Los Angeles Times
“After a strong start the movie steadily declines, one set piece after another, and there are many moments where the mind wanders and then asks: ‘Is this still going on?'”
Miles Surrey – The Ringer
“The result is the cinematic equivalent of a bad hangover.”
Karen Han – Polygon
“What kills me most, however, is that amid all the cacophony, there’s one joke that hints at the kind of joyful mayhem Bay is capable of.”
Overall, the 6 Underground reviews suggest that Bay prioritized spectacle over story structure. But for Netflix viewers looking to kick back and relax, that just may be what the doctor ordered. Still, the consensus reviews pinpoint what keeps the film from becoming a truly memorable 2019 movie: it’s just too messy. However, here are some of the more positive reviews for 6 Underground that imply Bay’s film isn’t quite a complete disaster.
Peter Bradshaw – The Guardian
“It’s an entertainingly goofy and excessive folly from Bay.”
Nick Schager – The Daily Beast
“For better and worse, in a multiplex or on your television or tablet, it delivers pleasure through pain.”
Glenn Kenney – The New York Times
“There are genuinely eccentric innovations here. There’s certainly not a whole lot of recognizable humanity, but hey, that’s why there’s ‘It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.'”
For Netflix, it’s the streaming numbers that matter most for 6 Underground. If people are watching, and they surely are, then Netflix will likely produce a sequel, if not several more installments. It seems like the 6 Underground cast is ready to make another movie, and the franchise could theoretically continue for several years by introducing new team members and subplots. But overall, 6 Underground isn’t something people may enjoy for its storytelling structure, but rather all the explosions featured throughout that make for somewhat mindless entertainment.
