Original action thrillers land on Netflix at least once a week, but any nail-biting exclusive has to have that little something extra to break out from the pack, with the true-life inspirations behind A Day and a Half helping elevate it to a must-see release this weekend.
Per FlixPatrol, the excruciatingly intense Swedish thriller has arrived as the fifth most-watched feature on the global charts, having cracked the Top 10 in 47 countries right off the bat. It’s easy to see why, too, seeing as the story finds a man taking his ex-wife hostage and attempting to outrun the authorities, which admittedly doesn’t sound like the smartest way to achieve his goal of reuniting with his estranged daughter.
Co-writer, director, and star Fares Fares is having quite the weekend on streaming with the returning villain of The Wheel of Time also featuring in the single most-watched new show of the week on any platform, showcasing that there are many strings to his bow as both an actor and a filmmaker across two wildly disparate genres.
A Day and a Half is inspired by a genuine incident that unfolded in Sweden, but the screenplay co-written by Fares and Peter Smirnakos is entirely fictional and therefore happy to take creative and artistic license with the true-life tale that inspired its creation in the first place.
It’s proven to be a winner for Netflix users either way, and it’s yet another reminder – not that anybody needed one – that propulsive thrillers are the bread and butter of the company’s never-ending production line of content for a very good reason.