The action film Trigger Warning, starring Jessica Alba, has sparked a wave of backlash despite climbing the charts on Netflix.

The story follows a special-forces commando who returns to her hometown after her father’s mysterious death and finds herself battling a violent local gang while searching for the truth. But while the premise promises explosive revenge, many critics say the movie falls into familiar territory with a formulaic plot and predictable twists.

Still, the brutal action and relentless pace have kept audiences watching — proving that even a controversial thriller can dominate the streaming charts.

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Netflix’s ‘gritty’ revenge thriller is ‘worst movie ever’ but is still rising in charts

It has become one of the most watched films among Netflix subscribers

The film is currently one of the most watched on Netflix despite some scathing reviews.

Only released on the platform at the end of last week, new title, called 180 is currently rising through the charts. At the time of writing it holds the fourth spot in the top 10 films watched among UK subscribers

This places it just behind a trio of other newcomers including comedy Roommates, creature feature Thrash and the nature documentary Gorilla Story Told By David Attenborough. Despite being listed as a Netflix original film, the streamer has not released much information about the title themselves.

We do know that the film is a South African production and described as gritty, suspenseful and emotional. According to its brief synopsis, the action picks up after an unexpected road rage incident puts a man’s son in critical condition. The now enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.

The film is billed as a gritty thriller(Image: Netflix)

Only one critic has published a review online, meaning it has far from enough to register a score on website Rotten Tomatoes. The reviewer said: “180 is an above-average thriller that offers tension, suspense and considerable food for thought.”

However, significantly more film fans who have already watched the movie have shared their thoughts. Unfortunately they have been less than kind for the most part.

One viewer even admitted that they had to turn it off after 20 minutes. However someone else added: “One of the worst movies I have ever watched. Trust me don’t waste your time. It is not at all a realistic depiction of how a father would seek revenge. The main character has to be the dumbest character on the planet. What a joke.”

While someone else shared a similar view and posted: “This may possibly be the worst I’ve ever watched in my life. They tried making a sentimental movie but they completely missed the mark.”

Some tried to find redeeming qualities in the film, with many praising the camera work as the only highlight. As one viewer pointed out: “Honestly, the cinematography was great, and the acting was good—this could have been a great film.”

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One viewer warned fans will be left frustrated(Image: Netflix)

Although they continue to explain it has more negatives than positives: “What let it down, however, was the main character. He is so poorly written, with zero sense of situational awareness, that he constantly finds himself in situations where he nearly dies or puts his life in danger every few minutes. He is brash in the face of stone-cold killers and even issues threats from a car boot while hoodwinked and handcuffed behind his back.”

They continued: “Silly doesn’t quite cover it. I should have known from the beginning: when a gun was pointed in his face while his son sat in the back of the car, and later, when confronted by his wife, he simply replied that it was nothing. Seriously poor writing.

“It reached a level of ridiculousness where I just kept fast-forwarding to the end, knowing I wasn’t missing anything. Save yourself the time watch the inciting incident and the conclusion, because everything in between will only frustrate you.”

180 is streaming on Netflix.