The Takeover (2022)

The Takeover is the kind of slick, modern thriller that feels ripped from tomorrow’s headlines, turning anxieties about biometric surveillance and deepfakes into a high-speed chase through Rotterdam’s glass-and-steel present. It’s especially fun because its heroine isn’t a super-spy but an ethical hacker who fights with brains, improvisation, and a stubborn moral compass, while the action stays crisp and grounded rather than cartoonish. Director Annemarie van de Mond keeps the vibe tense and propulsive, building set pieces around technology that’s just plausible enough to be scary, and Holly Mae Brood sells the panic-and-focus tightrope that makes you root for Mel even when the world turns on her. If you’re sensitive to gun violence and strong language, it’s a rougher ride, but if you like crime thrillers with a smart, contemporary hook, this one delivers a satisfyingly breathless jolt.

The Takeover wants to be a slick, modern hacker chase thriller—deepfakes, biometric surveillance, and a runaway self-driving bus—built to feel ripped from today’s headlines. The problem is it leans so hard on familiar genre beats that the twists land more like checkboxes, and the dialogue and tech “logic” can be distractingly flimsy if you need your thrillers to make sense. The action moves along and the Rotterdam setting gives it a bit of personality, but the visual effects and credibility gaps keep undercutting the tension. If you’re happy with a fast, glossy, brain-off Netflix ride, you’ll get some mileage; if you want sharp writing, grounded hacking, or genuinely surprising plotting, you’ll likely end up impatient.