Atanaria
Netflix’s Exterritorial opens with a bang—or more accurately, with a slow-burning mystery that promises taut suspense and psychological intrigue. Directed and written by Christian Zübert, this German-language thriller spins a paranoid, high-stakes tale of a missing child, a mother’s war-scarred psyche, and a U.S. consulate that hides more secrets than security cameras.
At the film’s center is Jeanne Goursaud, giving a fiercely committed performance as Sara, a former Special Forces operative battling PTSD from her time in Afghanistan. She arrives at the U.S. consulate in Germany with her young son Josh (Rickson Guy da Silva), intending to apply for a visa. It’s a routine appointment—until Josh vanishes from the consulate’s playroom without a trace.
What unfolds is a sharp genre pivot from procedural mystery to psychological thriller. Security footage shows no sign of Josh ever being there. Officials—led by Dougray Scott’s cold-eyed Regional Security Officer Erik Kynch and Kayode Akinyemi’s Gunny Sgt. Donovan—begin to question Sara’s credibility. Is she delusional? Dangerous? Or is there a deeper conspiracy afoot?
Zübert plays with audience perception in these early stretches, and it works. The tension is palpable, the setting claustrophobic. The consulate becomes a sterile labyrinth of locked doors, bureaucratic indifference, and eerie silence. Zübert ratchets up the paranoia, leaving viewers to question Sara’s reality along with her.
Goursaud is magnetic here, striking a careful balance between vulnerability and volatility. She brings depth to a character who could have been a stock action heroine—her military training is evident, but so is the trauma that shapes every decision. When the system fails her, she goes full rogue, and it’s thrilling to watch.
The film’s standout moments are its hand-to-hand combat sequences—especially two extended, single-take fight scenes. These long takes are more than just technical flourishes; they serve as visual metaphors for Sara’s desperation and resilience. In one hallway brawl, she takes down multiple armed opponents with brutal efficiency, and the camera never looks away. It’s raw, gritty, and one of the film’s high points.
But Exterritorial stumbles when it tries to explain itself. As the mystery unfolds, Zübert tips his hand too much and too early. The screenplay begins to rely heavily on clunky exposition, draining the tension it so carefully built. Twists that should land with impact instead feel labored or unearned.
The third act, in particular, struggles under the weight of its own ambitions. The narrative momentum slows, the mystery deflates, and logic begins to falter. Despite being set in what’s supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the world, the U.S. consulate is oddly porous. Sara’s ability to slip in and out with minimal resistance undercuts the stakes. It begins to feel less like a fortified institution and more like a conveniently under-policed movie set.
There are also missed opportunities in character development. Lera Abova’s Irina is introduced as a wildcard ally with her own murky past, and Abova’s magnetic screen presence initially suggests she’ll play a major role. But the script sidelines her as the story progresses, leaving her arc unresolved and her purpose unclear. Similarly, Dougray Scott brings a sinister charm to his role, but his character becomes more caricature than antagonist by the end.
That said, Exterritorial isn’t a total misfire. The pacing for the first two-thirds is brisk and engaging, the action is well-executed, and the lead performance is genuinely strong. There’s a slickness to the production—clean visuals, sharp editing, and a tense score—that elevates it above standard Netflix fare. It’s a film that swings hard, even if it doesn’t quite land the knockout.
In the end, Exterritorial is an intriguing mix of genres—part mystery, part action, part psychological thriller. It doesn’t always gel, but when it works, it’s gripping. If you can forgive its narrative shortcuts and muddled finale, it’s worth watching for Goursaud alone, who gives the film its pulse even when the plot loses its rhythm.
It is all in all a tense, stylish thriller with a standout lead and great action—but loses its edge in the final act. Watch it for the journey, not the destination.
