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“180” is one of the more curious Netflix original movies of recent years. On paper, this South African revenge thriller looks to be a success story. It’s racked up almost 50 million viewing hours since its release in April, and is holding a respectable position in the Netflix global top 10 three weeks later. However, simultaneously, it feels like it's flying under the radar.
Perhaps my social media algorithms are giving me a wicked case of confirmation bias, but I’ve seen virtually nobody talking about this new Netflix movie. With other buzzy thriller originals like “Apex” and “Thrash,” it felt impossible to avoid them, but in the case of “180,” even Netflix itself didn’t push the movie to the top of my movie recommendation feed.
Furthermore, the movie doesn’t even have enough reviews to have a score on Rotten Tomatoes, from either critics or viewers. Suggesting a lack of industry and subscriber interest. And yet, clearly, some people are watching this thriller. After all, its viewership count is measured in the millions. So, why isn’t it getting more attention overall?
Article continues belowI may have already found the answer. After streaming the movie for myself, I’m starting to understand why nobody in my circles is talking about this one. It’s certainly not a Netflix movie worth shouting about.
Maybe Netflix’s “180” should be forgotten about
It’s never a good sign when, midway through a movie, you check to see how long is left and audibly groan upon discovering you’re barely halfway done. That was me while watching “180" earlier this week.
This thriller follows a father (Prince Grootboom) seeking revenge after a road rage incident puts his son in the UIC. As he becomes consumed with vengeance against those who have wronged his family, he finds himself entangled in gang warfare and discovers even the local law enforcement cannot be trusted. It’s a boilerplate idea for a revenge thriller, and “180” doesn't have any ambition to subvert your expectations. It’s happy to plod along, walking a predictable path, until a largely humdrum conclusion.
It certainly doesn’t help matters that there’s a real soap opera quality to “180.” I’ve no doubt the cast is talented, but the material doesn’t let them shine. Scenes often descend into a mess of clunky dialogue and tired genre cliches. Action fans will also be left unsatisfied. “180” largely focuses on the build-up and neglects to give viewers the payoff to all the talk.
Mercifully, it runs 94 minutes long (sub 90 minutes, when you subtract the credits), but even that isn’t much of a reason to add “180” to your Netflix watchlist. 2026 has already served up far superior thrillers with similarly accessible runtimes, including “Wasteman,” “Apex” and “Fuze.” Rather than waste your precious streaming time on “180,” I would strongly recommend seeking out one of these much more enjoyable alternatives.
Looking further into the data provided by Netflix’s publicly available top 10 charts. It doesn’t make great reading for “180." Yes, 30 million views (and 48 million viewing hours) in three weeks sounds impressive on the surface, but the drop between its second and third week is rather telling.
In its second week (which was actually the film’s first full seven days on Netflix, as it released on a Friday), it had 17.5 million views. In its third, it amassed 9.5 million. That’s a 45% decline week-over-week. Take teen comedy “Roommates,” which dropped on the same day (April 17), its drop in the same frame was a favorable 26%, suggesting better staying power.
So while Netflix might be able to brag about large figures when it comes to “180,” it doesn’t appear that many subscribers are recommending this movie to friends and family, nor are they singing its praises on social platforms. I think it’s safe to say that in a couple of weeks, this movie’s fate will be sinking into the vast Netflix library, never to be heard from again. And, not to be too harsh, but I can’t argue that it doesn’t deserve that.
Watch "180" on Netflix now
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