One of the biggest action thriller films ever released on 
Netflix is now all set to spark a major franchise, the streamer has confirmed. Thanks to such massive streaming successes as Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction franchise, the critically acclaimed Rebel Ridge, the Charlie Theron-led Apex, and many, many more, Netflix has now become well-renowned for delivering in the action thriller department. Now, it’s time for the platform to unleash an all-new action expansion.
Released back in February 2025, this Netflix action thriller offers the kind of gloriously no-nonsense premise that bullet-laden dreams are made of. When five friends stop a woman and her daughter from being kidnapped by gangsters, they unknowingly involve themselves in a far more dangerous situation than expected, ultimately ending up in the crosshairs of the cartel. But what the villains don’t know is that this is not a group of five ordinary friends…this is a group harboring a particular set of skills.
Directed by Chava Cartas, Counterattack (also known as Contraataque and Counterstrike) introduces not one, but five action heroes (played by Luis Alberti, Noé Hernández, Leonardo Alonso, Luis Curiel, David León and Guillermo Nava) who are each a combination of Liam Neeson’s Taken hero Bryan Mills, Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, and Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo, with the gang being soldiers from the Mexican Special Forces, the Murciélagos, who “can only be killed from behind.”
After smashing records upon its debut, Counterattack has since solidified itself as one of Netflix’s biggest ever releases and now stands at #8 in the Top 10 Most Popular Non-English Movies of all time globally with 66,900,000 views and 94,800,000 hours viewed. Surprisingly, despite this success, it’s taken until now for Netflix to realize the action franchise it has at its disposal. Well, that all changes now.
Deadline has revealed that Netflix is now launching an “expansion” of Counterattack as part of its dedication to release more movies and shows from Mexico. Marking Mexican Cinema Day, Netflix has confirmed that, rather than a straightforward sequel or prequel, it will instead be an “expansion of the universe” with several new installments now in the works.
Counterattack may have flown under the radar at the time, and while it now boasts a historically high viewership, there will still be many who have never heard of it. The movie still dors not even have enough reviews from critics to constitute a Rotten Tomatoes score. However, the reactions from audiences have resulted in a solid 68% on the Popcornmeter, with users heaping praise on the action thriller saying, “In a runtime of 85 minutes, he and his team have packed in so many creative moments that it puts every other bloated action epic” to shame,” and hailing it as “excellent,” “engaging,” and a “must watch” across several four and five-star reviews.
