Netflix just dropped a high-octane action blockbuster starring Alan Ritchson — and it’s already racing up the streaming charts 🚀

After a huge opening weekend, the adrenaline-packed thriller has surged into Netflix’s Top 10. The fights, the tension, the nonstop action? Absolutely wild. 💥

But one particular moment in the film has everyone talking — a pulse-pounding scene fans keep replaying again and again. 😳

Viewers across social media are obsessing over that unforgettable sequence… trying to catch every intense detail.

What exactly happens in that scene?
You’ll have to see it for yourself. 👀

‘War Machine’ is the number 1 movie on Netflix — Alan Ritchson and Canadian star Stephan James ride wild twist

“It was a beast of a film to make,” James said

(L-R) Alan Ritchson as 81 and Stephan James as 7 in War Machine (Ben King/Netflix)
(Ben King/Netflix)

War Machine, starring Alan Ritchson, was released a week ago and has remained the most popular Netflix movie in Canada. While the movie, directed and co-written by Patrick Hughes, emphasizes its ensemble, Canadian star Stephan James is a standout.

As Ritchson’s character, 81, is in the final stage of the US Army Ranger selection process, run by Dennis Quaid’s Sheridan and Esai Morales as Torres, the last mission takes an unexpected turn. And that involves this group of recruits facing a killer robot from outer space.

“It was a beast of a film to make,” James told Yahoo Canada in his hometown, Toronto. “There was so much physicality to it, so much mental effort put into it. And it was a big crew, a big film in a lot of different areas, and so logistically, it wasn’t something easy to pull off.”

‘You need that soul’

Aside from the film’s physical elements, James’ character, 7, delivers a significant emotional punch amid all the action and sci-fi that underpin the film.

“That was probably a big reason I chose to be a part of the film,” James said. “His circumstances in this film are quite unique, but I think that there’s a level of humanity that 7 brings to the film, a level of emotion, if you will, that almost grounds the film in the midst of this otherworldly, grand creature.”

“And I think you need that heart. You need that soul. I think for me, it was definitely a challenge to be able to colour his performance.”

In terms of collaborating with his costars, James said the “foundation” of that work was trusting Hughes and Ritchson.

“We all had to look at Allen, … 81, and trust him. Trust that he was going to be here for this long ride, this five-month shoot. And being able to carry us literally all the way,” James said. “That type of … teamwork, that builds a camaraderie that you can’t fake when it comes to making a film like this. And so we spent a lot of real time together, prepping and making sure that we were all on one accord for this film.”

“Pat is a really immersive filmmaker, and he reminded me of just a little kid every day on set, because he was so excited that we all were living this for real and not just playing dress up in his head. And he really wanted us all to commit. And so we all did, and we had a great military expert by the name of Tyler [Grey], who just made everything feel so real for us. Not only physically right, making sure that physically we know what we’re doing, we don’t look like we aren’t supposed to be in these positions, but mentally. Also, knowing the why behind the things we do. And so I would say that knowledge was invaluable, in terms of creating the authenticity that you saw in the film.”

But to access the emotional core of his role, James said it’s about really knowing the “context” and “intention” of a character.

“I’ve always said that the most profound moments, especially in film, are when so much is being said with nothing being said at all,” he said. “And I think that is really the true challenge for us as actors. … What is our body language saying?”

TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 05: Stephan James attends the 10th anniversary celebration of The Black Ball during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Robert Okine/Getty Images for The 10th Anniversary Black Ball at TIFF 2025)
(Robert Okine via Getty Images)More

‘We’re very conscious of the opportunities we had and didn’t have’

While James’ early career included Degarssi: The Next Generation, and he received significant attention for his work on Selma and If Beale Street Could Talk, there’s a question he asks himself when potentially stepping into a new role.

“I think usually the barometer is, would I be happy seeing someone else play this character? And for this film, I was like, ‘No, I want to be 7,'” James said. “I want to be able to embody that, whatever that may mean, despite how challenging this may seem in my head at the moment.”

“And so, I think generally, you want to work with people who you love, admire and respect. You want to try and play characters that challenge you, and tell stories that affect positive change in the world, or speak to people in a way that only art could speak to them.”

While James advances in his career, he’s also created spaces to support aspiring actors and up-and-coming talents, including founding the non-profit B.L.A.C.K. Canada, which includes The Black Academy, with his brother, Shamier Anderson, in addition to launching The Legacy Awards and the series The Legacy Lounge, making James a particularly important voice in Canada’s entertainment landscape.

“I don’t proclaim to like be an activist or anything, I think those initiatives just come from a pure place of wanting to help and wanting to be a part of something that’s bigger than myself, that’s bigger than ourselves,” James said. “I think we’re very conscious of the opportunities we had and didn’t have coming up in this business, the challenges we faced. And I think that whatever small deed we could do to help make that ride easier for somebody else, we take that very personally.”

“I can only hope that the initiatives that we’re building, like The Legacy Awards, The Legacy Lounge, skills development programs, those things will live much longer than Shamier and myself.”