I didn't know this Jason Statham movie existed – it just hit Netflix's top 10

Ah, Statham. The man, the actor, the legend. He's made a lot of movies, most of which I've seen, but every once in a while a 'stealth Stath bomb' drops – such as this flick from back in 2013, which has just arrived on Netflix.

The last time this happened was with Statham's 2004 movie, Cellular, which hasn't exactly aged like a fine wine. Homefront, however, has just dropped into Netflix's Top 10 chart – and, I reckon, given the political climes of today, is a timely release indeed.

Homefront is currently sat at no.8 in the Netflix chart in the UK at the time of writing, but as the trailer below shows, it's got all the ingredients to rise to the top of Netflix's chart. Another reason it could be the best streaming service? You'll have to watch to find out.

Homefront trailer

Homefront | Official Trailer [HD] | Open Road Films - YouTube

Watch On

What's Homefront about?

That Statham plays Phil Broker is just poetry in motion for an action-thriller such as this. He certainly is no 'broker' of the financial markets – he's more out to 'broke' people's limbs when they get on his wrong side.

"I miss mom," says Broker's daughter. "Me too," he replies. What a perfect setup for this new picture-perfect life that they're settling into. Except, far from it, the locals aren't exactly receptive of these new arrivals.

And, no, it's not to do with the accent (maybe?). Broker turns out to be an undercover cop, and 'Gator' (played by James Franco – how about that for another big star?), the bad guy in town, doesn't like it one bit. It could see his illegal meth business go down the pan, y'see.

Looking to stir things up, Gator doesn't quite realise who he's messing with. The answer, of course, being 'Statham doing Statham things'. Cue bone-crunching fights, carefully choreographed fisticuffs, a smattering of gun-toting scenes, and all that usual Statham goodness.

He's the good guy, though, set out to put things right. When, as the trailer shows, his daughter seemingly gets kidnapped and – despite my having never seen Homefront before (it's firmly on my list for tonight's entertainment) – you can be sure that opens a whole other can of whoop-ass.

Is Homefront a good movie?

Image 1 of 6

Homefront has a surprisingly rich cast beyond the obvious aforementioned, including Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth. It's written and produced by Sylvester Stallone, however, which sets alarm bells ringing for me – he was also the producer of A Working Man (which, spoiler alert, I didn't love).

That could explain the not-so-hot rating on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, where it's netted a mere 42%. As typical, however, audience figures are higher than the critics' ratings – at 61% positive. And this Netflix appearance could well change that rating again, especially 12 years after the movie's release.

In Netflix's quest to be the best streaming service, it's interesting to watch the streamer add older movies to its roster, not just brand new Netflix Original shows and movies. Although there is plenty more coming, from Happy Gilmore 2, to Wednesday season 2 next month. Until then, however, here's Homefront to distract you – and, who knows, it could pleasantly surprise!