Pound of Flesh

If you want action that respects the story underneath it, Pound of Flesh is available in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and Starz Roku Premium Channel right now. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 262 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Jean-Claude Van Damme's performance is the throughline that holds the set pieces together. Put it on tonight on Starz Apple TV Channel and see for yourself.

Pound of Flesh is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Pound of Flesh moves fast and earns its action sequences rather than just delivering them. In China to donate his kidney to his dying niece, former black-ops agent Deacon awakes the day before the operation to find he is the latest victim of organ theft. Stitched up and pissed-off, Deacon descends from his opulent hotel in search of his stolen kidney and carves a blood-soaked path through the darkest corners of the city. The clock is ticking for his niece and with each step he loses blood. Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Ralston lead a cast that gives the action real stakes. Pound of Flesh came out in 2015. The geography of every set piece in Pound of Flesh is legible, which is rarer in the genre than it should be. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

The genre has a long history of front-loading its best moments — Pound of Flesh is not one of those. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Jean-Claude Van Damme brings a physicality to the role that elevates every set piece. Action that earns its sequences rather than just delivering them.