War Machine review: Lean, propulsive Predator-style action for Alan Ritchson

Netflix’s War Machine is a straightforward sci-fi action picture that leans on practical stunts and location shooting. Director and co-writer Patrick Hughes channels influences like Predator, Alien, and Aliens to deliver a film that prizes grit, endurance, and clear, physical stakes.

Alan Ritchson plays an Army sergeant known only as “81,” a veteran carrying trauma who enters the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program to fulfill a promise to his brother. After being accepted into RASP against long odds and amid the objections of officers played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales, 81 and his fellow finalists find a simulated mission turned deadly when an alien mecha crashes nearby, forcing them to confront teamwork, leadership, and survival.

The movie foregrounds stunt work and tangible danger: cliff falls, Class V rapids, rope traverses and other practical set pieces give it a tactile feel.

war machine, alan ritchson, patrick hughes, predator, alien, rasp, dennis quaid, esai morales, netflix, practical stunts