It’s rare for a story with such a brutal and violent edge to have such a heartfelt message at the core. The Netflix show is truly something special. Ultimately, this deeper level makes Netflix’s Man on Fire a must-watch.

“Man on Fire” might not venture into unknown narrative territory, but Mr. Abdul-Mateen puts an unapologetically anti-heroic spin on a movie cliché—the purveyor of justice—and makes him new. To some degree, the variations are what keep us intrigued. But there’s depth to the performances, too. And heat.

It occasionally feels like there are too many side characters for the show to successfully juggle, especially when their subplots borrow time away from the most interesting parts of the narrative, but none of them ever overstay their welcome. What Man on Fire does ultimately succeed as a showcase for, amidst the narrative's twists and turns, is Abdul-Mateen II's undeniable magnetism as both a leading man and an action star.

When it comes to expanding movies into (in this case) a seven-episode series, more can often be less.

It’s not a non-stop cavalcade of action: it regularly relents for extended, talky scenes concerning Creasy’s instability or Poe’s grief. Sometimes the combination is powerful. .... Man on Fire’s glowering intensity is, however, hard to take seriously.

Adaptations are meant to breathe new life into stories that once charmed or intrigued audiences, bringing them to new audiences. Instead of achieving this, “Man on Fire” unfortunately turns out to be another case of pondering the existence of an adaptation entirely.

Man On Fire feels like it’s going to be seven episodes of filler and tortured monologuing between action scenes, which doesn’t exactly make for entertaining television.