Alan Ritchson’s Gritty Revenge Thriller Instantly Conquers New Streaming Home

Published Nov 8, 2026, 11:26 AM EST

Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.

Alan Ritchson is now primarily known for his work on TV with Reacher. Ritchson debuted as the hulking Lee Child hero in 2022, recently returning for the Prime Video show's season 4, as well as the spinoff, Neagley. While Ritchson is returning for Reacher seasons 5 and 6, he is also beginning to become a larger presence in the world of movies. In recent years, the actor has appeared in movies like Fast X (2023), The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024), War Machine (2026), and Runner (2026). Now, another 2026 Ritchson film is finding its audience.

Following its theatrical release in July, Ritchson's Motor City has become a force to be reckoned with on streaming. As of writing, the film, which stars Ritchson as a man seeking revenge after being framed and sent to prison, ranks as the third most popular movie on AMC+, falling behind only Kill Jackie (2026), and Yaga (2026).

Alan Ritchson's Motor City Is Off To A Killer Start On AMC+

Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, Motor City hit AMC+ on November 6, meaning it has wasted no time at all climbing the streamer's top 10 chart. The film, which is rated R for strong bloody violence, some grisly images, drug content, sexuality/nudity and language, also stars Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and Lionel Boyce. Marking Ritchson's follow-up to Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the movie takes a unique approach to the action thriller genre, featuring almost no dialogue as Ritchson's character, John Miller, fights his way across 1970s Detroit.

Motor City's approach was met with a somewhat mixed reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a lukewarm 63% critics' score, with reviews noting that the film has enough style on display to make up for shortcomings in the storytelling. ScreenRant's Motor City review by Alex Harrison goes against the grain, though, praising the film's "grounded and brutal" action, but taking issue with the no-dialogue approach and lack of character depth. Motor City had only a limited theatrical release, grossing $3 million on an estimated budget of $30 million.

Motor City's Success Proves Ritchson's Popularity Goes Beyond Prime Video

Though Motor City didn't take off in theaters or earn critical acclaim, its streaming success suggests that Ritchson remains an audience draw on streaming. Reacher has been one of Prime Video's biggest shows since 2022, but Ritchson has been making moves beyond this platform in recent years. Earlier this year, War Machine was a major viewership hit for Netflix, and War Machine 2 is now on the horizon.

Next up for Ritchson is The Man with the Bag, a Christmas film costarring Arnold Schwarzenegger that releases on December 2, as well as an adaptation of the Helldivers video game. Though Ritchson is on the rise as a streaming star, he isn't yet a proven box office draw, with Runner recently failing to take off in theaters. It remains to be seen how Ritchson's upcoming films will fare, Motor City's streaming success is another positive development for the Reacher star.