Netflix continues to churn out hit after hit, with titles like Don’t Say Good Luck and The Last House standing out among the most popular titles in the streaming universe right now. However, one of the most obscure and underrated movies streaming on the platform has risen from the ashes to dominate the charts. A post-apocalyptic thriller has newly landed on the popular streamer, and while it may appear to be little more than a simple zombie movie, beyond the tropes of the subgenre, there is something surprisingly compelling that may leave some viewers in tears.
‘Extinction’ Is One of the Most Popular Sci-Fi Thrillers Streaming on Netflix
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Matthew Fox in the film Extinction Vertical Entertainment -
A still from the movie extinction Vertical Entertainment -
Matthew Fox takes care of a child while Jeffrey Donovan looks the other way in Extinction Vertical Entertainment
That post-apocalyptic thriller in question is Extinction (formerly known as Welcome to Harmony), a 110-minute co-production between Spain, France, and Hungary. The film follows Jack and Patrick, two men trying to survive the post-apocalypse after the planet was hit with a zombie-style plague. Jack is also taking care of Lu, a child who has become the center of his life. As the infected arrive on the property they share, the group is forced to flee together, and ultimately, the truth about Lu slowly reveals itself.
Extinction is undoubtedly a zombie apocalypse movie. It features all the elements that make the horror subgenre so familiar, even if audiences are not entirely engaged with zombie stories nowadays. However, its art direction and production design are strong enough to elevate the movie above some of the more generic films about flesh-eaters. Additionally, the characters are well-drawn, and the performances are better than what some reviews suggest. Extinction is much more than a survival story in apocalyptic times, and though its twist arrives a little too late, it provides a whole new arc that makes its conclusion hit harder than expected.
The film stars Sicario’s Jeffrey Donovan and Lost’s Matthew Fox, alongside Valeria Vereau, Clara Lago, Quinn McColgan, and Alex Hafner. Extinction was directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas (best known for Kidnapped and the remake of Inside), who co-wrote the screenplay with Alberto Marini. Extinction is an adaptation of the novel And Despite Everything by Juan de Dios Garduño.
11 Years Later, the Zombie Gem ‘Extinction’ Becomes a Hit
Extinction was released worldwide in 2015. However, it wasn’t seen by many people, and quickly swerved toward the home media market (it is definitely a movie that isn’t aimed at critics). Today, it sits at a savage 18% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score only slightly higher, at 35%. Not even Fox’s post-Lost fame was able to save the film from disappearing into obscurity, but it seems that the time for Extinction has come.
11 years later, audiences are rediscovering the film from within the depths of Netflix’s vast catalog. According to the latest charts, Extinction has become one of the streamer’s most watched titles, landing in the No. 4 spot on the top 10 global list. While titles like The Last House and 72 Hours are fairly recent, the 2015 production has re-emerged and found well-deserved acclaim from zombie movie connoisseurs. This is genuinely one of the most original films in the genre made in the last 20 years, and yes, that final sequence will have you reaching for the Kleenex box.
