Netflix Added This Underrated 2004 Action Comedy — and I Had a Blast Watching It

This week, Netflix added After the Sunset to its lineup. This action comedy originally hit theaters in 2004, and now it’s getting its most prominent streaming release to date.

Woody Harrelson and Pierce Brosnan headline the film as a frustrated FBI agent and a world-class jewel thief, respectively.

Instead of centering the movie around a drawn-out cat-and-mouse game between the two, Brosnan and Harrelson’s characters come together for a tropical heist caper. It’s a fun action romp and a favorite here at Watch With Us.

The movie’s already a hit with Netflix viewers, so if you haven’t streamed it yet, here are a few reasons why you should right now.

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Brosnan and Harrelson Are an Unlikely Action Comedy Pairing

Director Brett Ratner helped revitalize the buddy action comedy genre with the Rush Hour movies. After the Sunset doesn’t follow the exact formula of those films, but it’s hard not to see some of the same DNA in Ratner’s choices for this movie.

Brosnan was cast in this film shortly after his final James Bond movie, and his character, Max Burdett, isn’t too far removed from his title character in The Thomas Crown Affair. Max is a great foil for FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Harrelson), who is understandably frustrated after the former outwitted him. That’s what makes their unfolding friendship in this movie so rewarding to watch.

Max doesn’t really change his stripes, but he’s generous to his rival, and he genuinely starts to like him. These guys manage to find common ground without losing the qualities that made them unique. Max is always going to be a thief, and Stan is always going to take it on himself to stop him.

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The Film’s Romance Is Fun and Breezy

Salma Hayek in After the Sunset New Line Cinema

Salma Hayek‘s Lola Cirillo is Max’s partner-in-crime, and she certainly seems to enjoy teasing Stan as well. Hayek and Brosnan are very believable as a power couple, even though their story takes several familiar turns. Lola is ready to leave their life of crime behind, but Max just can’t bring himself to let go of the thing that makes him happy in life.

These two performers light up the screen together, and the direction of their relationship is never too shocking. Max makes some mistakes and has to win back Lola’s heart. The thing that makes that reunion spark is the way Max wins Lola back and what he’s willing to give up to do so. What this film lacks in suspense, it makes up for with the chemistry between Brosnan and Hayek. They’re just fun to watch together.

‘After the Sunset’ Has an Enjoyably Fast Pace

If you’re expecting After the Sunset to be an innovative take on the heist genre, then you’re going to be disappointed. It’s not a unique film, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining. Ratner keeps the story moving at such a brisk pace that there’s never enough time to really examine any leaps in logic. This is the kind of movie where you just have to let yourself enjoy the ride, and it’s over faster than you’d expect.

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Don Cheadle has a good turn as the film’s only true villain, crime lord Henri Mooré. Before she went on to costar in the Daniel Craig James Bond movies, Naomie Harris appeared in this film as Sophie, a constable who partners up with Stan. Cheadle and Harris carry off their parts well, even though they’re overshadowed by the film’s core trio.

After the Sunset wasn’t a huge hit in theaters, but it’s not shocking that it landed in Netflix’s top 10 movies the moment it debuted on the streamer. It’s not a perfect film by any means, and yet it’s better than the vast majority of Netflix originals.

After the Sunset is streaming on Netflix now.