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Interceptor director Matthew Reilly says he’s ‘confused’ by film’s success on Netflix

‘I don’t think anybody was expecting it,’ filmmaker candidly admitted

Jacob Stolworthy
Saturday 18 June 2022 09:00 BST
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Interceptor trailer

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The director of a recent Netflix sleeper hit has expressed surprise over the film’s success.

Earlier this month, action thriller Interceptor topped the streaming service’s charts in several countries, including the UK.

The film achieved the feat despite receiving a flurry of bad reviews. Additionally, many Netflix users concluded that it was one of the streaming service’s “worst” original films to date.

Days after release, it was surpassed by a new Adam Sandler film, which has broken an impressive record on Rotten Tomatoes.

“It’s blown me away,” director Matthew Reilly said of the film’s success to Variety. “I was hoping to sneak into the top 10 on Netflix, but coming in at No 1 everywhere?”

He continued: “I don’t think anybody was expecting it to take the world by storm. I’m just as confused as everybody else.”

Interceptor follows an Army captain (played by Elsa Pataky) as she attempts to avert a missile attack on the US.

Elsa Pataky in Netflix film ‘Interceptor’
Elsa Pataky in Netflix film ‘Interceptor’ (Netflix)

Luke Bracey, Colin Friels and Rhys Muldoon also appear in the film – as does an A-list Marvel star in an unexpected cameo.

Reilly co-wrote the film, which is his directorial debut, with Pirates of the Caribbean and Obi-Wan Kenobi screenwriter Stuart Beattie.

Interceptor is available to stream on Netflix.

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