Nearly 11 years ago, barely anyone saw Jason Statham’s Redemption in theaters. Unlike Statham’s recent film, The Beekeeper, Redemption seemed to be destined for permanent obscurity before Netflix recently added it. Now, Redemption, which was released as Hummingbird outside the U.S., is among the most popular movies on Netflix, and its obscurity may be working in its favor. Since the film was largely undiscovered in 2013, it plays like a new movie in 2024.
In the film, Statham portrays Joseph Smith, a former soldier who is now homeless and running from his past. In a fluke discovery, Joseph comes across an empty apartment that belongs to an affluent photographer who won’t return home for months. Joseph quickly decides to embrace his good fortune by using everything in the apartment to turn his life around. But Joseph’s deception won’t last long when the apartment’s owner returns, and he still has some serious scores to settle from his time on the streets.
If you need any convincing to check out Redemption, here are three reasons why you should watch it on Netflix.
Jason Statham gives a committed performance
In most of his movies, Statham tends to play a quippy action hero who’s quick with the one-liners. And while Statham’s character in this movie does occasionally say some funny things, he’s no comedian. Joseph Smith may be the most emotionally tortured character that Statham has played. He’s quite literally haunted by his experiences during wartime, and Joseph is either mentally ill or suffering from a very bad case of PTSD.
Regardless, Joseph is determined to find some measure of redemption for himself by using his newfound resources to help fund a soup kitchen for the homeless. Joseph also doesn’t lose sight of his goal to avenge the death of his homeless friend, and that’s when the more violent side of Statham’s character emerges. It’s to Statham’s credit that he’s very believable when he portrays both Joseph’s vulnerability and his capacity for violence.
Redemption has an unconventional love story
Joseph isn’t the only character looking for redemption in this story. Agata Buzek’s Sister Cristina has her own tragic cross to bear and a backstory that eventually gets revealed. Cristina is committed to helping people, especially the homeless. But there’s a reason why she doesn’t feel quite as committed to her vows, especially when she starts falling for Joseph.
Cristina and Joseph’s relationship doesn’t unfold in a normal way, but that’s why it works in this context. There’s only so much that they can give each other. Putting aside their obvious feelings for each other, these are two people heading in very different directions even if things work out in their favor. It’s kind of admirable that Redemption doesn’t force their love story to be something that it isn’t.
Jason Statham shows why he’s one of the best action stars around
Redemption is not as action-packed as a conventional Jason Statham movie. And as noted above, Joseph Smith isn’t a typical Statham character. But since Joseph does have a military background and he is played by Statham, there’s always the threat of violence hanging over anyone who dares to cross him. When the time comes for Joseph to unleash his pent-up rage, it’s like Statham playing the hits.
There are also moments in the movie were Statham is legitimately funny, particularly when he mentions his growing attraction toward Cristina. His deadpan delivery is classic Statham, and those are some of the scenes that really make this movie worth watching.