Don’t let the headline deceive you – Netflix is not, to KFK’s knowledge, producing any MMA-themed action movie focused upon any long-running new casts.
However, what actually is on the docket looks to be much better, with the upcoming MMA-action movie “Sixty Minutes” focused upon a rising fighter finding himself battling a three-tiered conflict in his pending divorce and custody battle, pursuing gangsters determined to make a quick buck from his upcoming fight, and a strict time limit of just one hour.
“Sixty Minutes” is set to hit Netflix on Friday, January 19th, with the movie’s trailer teasing it as an action-packed blast, below!
Trailer
Emilio Sakraya is an Amazing Martial Artist
In his role as the movie’s protagonist Octavio Bergmann, Emilio Sakraya has to carry the fast-paced story of “Sixty Minutes” on his shoulders, and both the trailer and his martial arts background fully show him to be up for the task.
A former competitive martial artist in kung fu and karate, Sakraya soars through the snippets of action in the “Sixty Minutes” trailer like a whirlwind speed demon with the proper amount of grit that an MMA fighter hero calls for.
Since beginning his career in the film industry in 2010, Sakraya has built up a strong resume in numerous German TV shows and movies like “4 Blocks” and “Tatort”, along with credits in English-language productions like “Warrior Nun” and “Tribes of Europa”.
Meanwhile, Sakraya’s pedigree as a martial artist and parkour exponent seem well-tailored toward the on-the-fly premise of “Sixty Minutes”.
“Sixty Minutes” is MMA Action on the Go
“Sixty Minutes” places Sakraya’s protagonist Octavio Bergmann in a situation no father or MMA fighter ever desires to find themselves in.
Scheduled for a championship fight, Octavio receives an ultimatum from his soon-to-be ex-wife to make it to a scheduled meeting within an hour or lose visitation rights to his daughter.
Octavio’s love for his daughter naturally leads him to chose the former, but the high-rollers betting on him to earn them a high payday in the match he’s walking away from won’t let him go without a fight.
With that kind of tug-of-war at play and just one hour for Octavio to succeed, “Sixty Minutes” promises to be an MMA-chase movie hybrid, a rare genre combo indeed and one that makes both hard-hitting martial arts fights and swift parkour chases a guarantee, with “Sixty Minutes” selling both with a relentless vigor in its trailer.
Why “Sixty Minutes” Time Crunch could really Work for its Action Scenes and Story
The race-against-the-clock scenario is a popular one in action movies, and its application in “Sixty Minutes” could suggest it as one of the first breakout martial arts films of 2024.
Like Octavio himself, “Sixty Minutes” is sure to be mindful of the time once the race begins, and the combo of personal and professional stakes for him in two immediate, and conflicting ways sets up “Sixty Minutes” as a fast-paced, action-packed ride for martial arts and parkour lovers.
Essentially, “Sixty Minutes” is selling itself on its economy of motion, promising viewers that it will pack as much action as it possibly can into the one hour timeframe Octavio has to succeed within.
With 2024 still having barely begun, once it hits Netflix, “Sixty Minutes” is dropping into the New Year with a hit-the-ground-running mandate and inviting its audience to keep up with it.
Germany is Growing Big in the Martial Arts Movie World
Looking at “Sixty Minutes” within a larger, international framework, the movie also highlights Germany’s growing prominence in martial arts movie making.
Martial arts fans have a unique perspective on the territoriality within their genre, with Hong Kong widely viewed as the historical bedrock and top of the totem pole of martial arts films, while territories like Indonesia have become all the rage in the 21st century following the popularity of “The Raid” films.
Germany’s homegrown talent, meanwhile, have been making a visible bid to climb that ladder in the 21st century.
Leading the charge have been stunt pros and martial arts powerhouses like Mike Moeller with such low budget-but-beloved hits as “Arena of the Street Fight Fighter” and “One Million K(l)icks”.
The luminaries of the German-based Reel Deal Action have done the same with such cult hits as 2017’s “Plan B”, and their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed internationally.
Mike Moeller and Reel Deal Action alumni like Cha Lee-yoon, Phong Giang, and Can Aydin have made significant inroads in such Hollywood action films as “Skylin3s”, “The Matrix Resurrections”, “The Expendables 4”, “Violent Night”, and numerous others. With Germany’s pool of talented martial artists-turned-stunt-and-fight-movie-pros, “Sixty Minutes” could be the latest local action flick to shine a spotlight on Germany.
With such a fast-paced story and a blur of seemingly non-stop action, “Sixty Minutes” certainly is poised to accomplish that goal and generally wow martial arts movie lovers around the globe as 2024 begins!
