When The 355 hit theaters in 2022, things did not go well. The action thriller from Simon Kinberg opened with weak box office numbers and critics slammed it, giving it just a 24% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Most people forgot about it soon after. But now, the film is getting a surprising second life. As of August 23, 2025, it has climbed to sixth place on Netflix’s Top 10 movies in the US, according to Flixpatrol. It currently trails behind titles like KPop Demon Hunters and Hobbs & Shaw, while staying ahead of animated hits such as Despicable Me 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3.
What’s the Movie About?
The story centers on a dangerous piece of technology—a drive that can hack into any digital system. A criminal mastermind named Elijah Clarke gets his hands on it. CIA agent Mace Brown, played by Jessica Chastain, tries to recover it, but the mission quickly spins out of control. The drive falls into the hands of Colombian agent Luis Rojas, double-crosses pile up, and soon Mace’s partner Nick is believed to be dead.
Mace ends up joining forces with a group of international agents to stop the threat. Their hunt takes them across Morocco and Shanghai, only to discover that Nick is alive—and working as a mole. After fights, betrayals, and hostage rescues, the women finally destroy the device. Months later, they capture Nick, making sure justice is served. The movie teases that the team could reunite for more missions.
The cast is loaded with big names, including Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Fan Bingbing, Sebastian Stan, and Édgar Ramírez.
Simon Kinberg’s Career
Before directing The 355, Simon Kinberg was already a well-known name in Hollywood. He first gained attention in 2005 as the writer of XXX: State of the Union and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. His career really took off with the X-Men franchise, where he worked as a writer and producer on films like The Last Stand, First Class, Days of Future Past, and Apocalypse.
Outside of superheroes, Kinberg has been part of some major projects. He wrote or produced Sherlock Holmes, Elysium, Chappie, Fantastic Four, Cinderella, and Murder on the Orient Express. He was also a producer on The Martian, which earned him an Oscar nomination.