There was little in the way of marketing hoopla when Netflix put its French action-thriller Elite Force on the platform, yet the high-octane series has staged a considerable upset on the streaming charts. Known as GIGN before it made its way to international audiences, this six-part tactical show has put all that aside to claim the top spot in Netflix’s global television rankings, leaving both homegrown heavyweights and star-studded adaptations in its wake.
The military drama, which went live July 22, is unapologetically gritty. It takes the viewer inside the world of France’s premier tactical police unit, following Sylvain Caron (Tomer Sisley), an officer of some standing who had his mind set on moving on from field work. But a well-orchestrated assault on his unit puts an end to any notion of retirement and sends him on a rogue mission fraught with danger and old ghosts he can no longer ignore. Backed by a solid ensemble including Guillaume Gouix and Tristan Zanchi, the show is defined by its unrelenting pace and precisely choreographed firefights.
It is a case of word-of-mouth doing the heavy lifting for the streamer. Without the kind of promotional blitz one might expect for a major American tentpole, Elite Force has overtaken some stiff competition on the global leaderboard, besting such titles as Will Ferrell’s The Hawk, the historical piece The East Palace and even Harlan Coben’s new I Will Find You.
Netflix’s Quiet International Playbook Continues to Pay Off
What we are seeing with the swift rise of Elite Force is something the numbers have shown time and again: you do not need a Hollywood-sized budget to win over the world with an international thriller, provided the genre is done right. In shunning the high-concept sci-fi for some procedural realism, Netflix has found a formula for European crime stories that has universal appeal.
For now, it will be interesting to watch if the series can hold onto its audience through the 91-day mark that determines a second season. Its quick climb to the top suggests viewers are in search of no-nonsense genre material, and for those making content abroad, Elite Force is evidence enough that hard-edged action makes for easy viewing on either side of the Atlantic.
Source: FlixPatrol