I’m not sure about you, but the reason I don’t generally enjoy action movies is that the character motivations happen to be the same in almost every single one, that there is no way something that simple could go so wrong, and that there’s only so much you can enjoy watching people beat each other up. Yet when the action is accompanied by a motivating factor that drives you as an audience to vibe with the thumping sound of drums and get you to root for a side to emerge victorious, then it becomes good cinema. When it comes to women in action cinema, it is rare to see a motivation that doesn’t draw from family identity or revenge for SA. Exterritorial focuses on the first of those two categories. In this movie, Sara, an ex-Bundeswehr soldier, finds herself tearing apart the US consulate in Frankfurt in search of her little son. The woman suffers from PTSD, and soon enough, she’s left fending for herself, it feels like everyone in the building is against her.
Before I talk about anything else, the action in this movie is solid. If you’re a fan of muscular women, you’re going to get a good kick out of this one. There are some sequences of fighting the showers and climbing out of windows that are pretty fun to watch. But I can’t really say anything else is all that engaging about the film. Exterritorial takes place for the most part in one building, the US consulate, but does it really manage to give us anything interesting with that setting? I personally don’t think so. Also, is it natural for a consulate to have so many rooms locked and be so maze-like? I didn’t realize they hide fugitives and do drug deals there, but it’s good to know, I guess.
In truth, it’s the kind of film that thinks adding intense music makes a scene tense without doing anything to make the stakes feel realistic. The entire premise is a bit lacking, which is predominantly a Netflix action-thriller trope that I’m frankly tired of seeing. I don’t understand why these movies can’t have more substance in a plot to make the action bits feel more necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy mindless action movies sometimes, but that’s because they appear to be that way from the get-go. With these ones, it’s like trying to find a middle ground that doesn’t exist, which is why it’s more of a disappointment rather than just plain old bad.
In terms of performance, the lead actress Jeanne Goursaud is excellent as an ex-soldier and present mom with PTSD. You will want to hit the gym the second you look at her sweaty arms at the start of the film. She’s got some mean moves, and some of the camera work during the action sequences is interesting. Okay, is it mean to say that Dougray Scott looks like a budget Tom Selleck because of the mustache? I suppose it is a little bit. But hey, he’s pretty good in this role, and I quite enjoyed the dynamic between Sara and Erik, especially when it was about being a parent. I think Erik is an interesting character and doesn’t necessarily get explored enough before things kick off in the latter half of the film. Though I guess Sara is the protagonist, who needs all the attention she can get. Lera Abova is good as Irina but is almost underused in this nearly negligible role. It would’ve been more interesting to watch them both get things done together in the latter bits, too.
The film is German, but it feels almost German-English because it’s set in the consulate and all that. If you end up watching it dubbed, you’re going to miss out on that experience, but it might feel like you’re watching a Marvel movie dubbed in your own language. I know, fun. To be honest, it would just be mean of me to call this movie bad, because that’s not what it is. It’s got all the potential to actually be a good movie, but what I can call it is lazy, and that’s what makes it kind of disappointing. I just wish there was something new to it, because everything feels familiar, the typical high-budget action movie we’ve seen a million times, but with one twist that’s different and supposed to make us feel all excited. No, I will not be sitting at the edge of my seat watching Sara and Irina trying to get information while the enemy approaches, because I know for sure that they’re going to manage to escape. I suppose it comes down to how you make it look like this is what will push you to the edge, really.
I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining because this is nowhere close to any of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s actually pretty decent, even if slightly tedious when it comes down to it. The pacing is good, though not much is really happening, so I think it could’ve been cut short at least by a little to make it feel tighter. I can’t say the film is predictable, but it certainly feels, for lack of a better word, slightly stale or processed. I suppose what I’m trying to say at the end of the day is we need a fresh take on the genre to make it feel new again.
At the end of the day, if you’re okay with a few plot holes but enjoy a well-paced action movie, then you might enjoy Exterritorial more than I did. However, if you’re looking for something unique, with some crazy twists and turns, then this one is not going to scratch that itch for you. There is one particular part near the end of the film that comes off as really stupid, and that was slightly off-putting, all things considered. So, I will give Exterritorial 2.5 stars for being an average action movie that is easily forgettable.
