Most of us can shut out the tragedies of the world by shutting off the TV. But there are some who refuse to block out cruelty and suffering. They’re determined to do something about it instead.
And they’re known only by their numbers.
The leader of the pack is Agent One. An arrogant, seemingly heartless tech billionaire, Agent One decides one day to fight the wickedness of the world by assembling a pack of rogue representatives, each with their own set of evil-banishing talents and skills.
There’s Agent Two, a beautiful, blonde former member of the CIA. Agent Three, a sentimental hitman. Agent Four, a young, talented thief known as the “Skywalker.” Agent Five, a stunning brunette doctor. Agent six, a young man with a need for speed. And, finally, Agent Seven, a former military commander.
Each member brings knowledge and deadly potential to the table. The only catch is that these agents must be willing to leave their former lives behind, faking their own deaths, in order to pursue justice for the sake of humanity.
But the pursuit of justice is rarely peaceful for this crew. Their skills—and their moral compass–are put to the test as they band together to take down a powerful, wicked dictator in a race against time.
These agents believe, fundamentally, that they are providing a service to humanity by bringing justice to those the government ignores (albeit with quite the body count along the way and some morally questionable choices to boot). That said, these agents each have moments where they show shreds of humanity. And if there’s a lesson they learn along the way, it’s that they’re better off together than alone.
An evil dictator is overthrown by his brother who wants justice and peace for his people.
Agent One, as the narrator, tells listeners that in order to get “off the grid” you must become “like a ghost” whose soul departs after death.
A cross is seen on a wall inside a Catholic hospital where nuns attend to the sick and elderly. A group of agents plans to visit a city during its celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Agent One has sex with a random woman he meets while on a mission. The two make out. We see him in boxers and her in a thong and bra, and it’s insinuated that they have sex. The next morning they lie in bed together; he’s shirtless and she’s in a silk nightgown.
Agents Two and Three also make out and take off most of their clothing. We likewise see them in skimpy undergarments, and it’s also insinuated that they have sex.
A group of wealthy men hire strippers and prostitutes to come up to a hotel suite (the women wear bras, thongs and other lingerie). One man graphically has sex with a woman. (We see her naked rear and explicit movements.)
Women frantically exit a ship in their bikinis. Agent One makes graphic jokes about masturbation and genital size.
This flick, from start to finish, is intensely violent. Cars explode in nearly every scene … along with the people inside them. Innocent civilians get hit by cars and run over. Poles and other miscellaneous objects impale those on the run.
When things aren’t exploding, men and women engage in hand-to-hand combat and violent shoot-outs. We see people shot in every imaginable area, including brutal point-blank blasts to the head and chest. Blood often gushes from open wounds. A man’s nose is blown off, and another loses his head as his dead, decapitated body slumps forward. A man’s teeth are knocked out of his mouth in slow motion. A woman stabs a man’s hand with a screwdriver. A magnetic pulse throws people up against a wall as knives pierce their bodies.
Agent One graphically recounts how a man’s eye was gouged out. Later, he holds that same eye to gain access into a phone. A doctor extracts a bullet from a woman’s abdomen as blood sprays on her face and in all directions.
Evil dictator Romach Alimov tells his generals and followers that he wants to inspire fear in his people by blowing up schools and hospitals and by killing the youth of the country. As Romach launches his evil plan, he attacks his own people with gas bombs and other chemical weapons. As a result, thousands of peoples are displaced and forced to flee. Children and families sit in poverty and anguish as they plead for help and rescue. Elsewhere, dead bodies litter the ground, and one man is beaten to death.
In order to eliminate potential threats, Romach has a group of his generals thrown off a building, where they plummet to their deaths. A captain grieves the death of his men during battle. Fallen soldiers lie in closed caskets. Agent Three makes a young girl an orphan when he kills her father.
Agents One through Seven fake their own deaths.
God’s name is misused about 10 times, often paired with “d–n” and “d–mit.” Jesus’ name is abused several times as well. The f-word is heard more 80 times and the s-word nearly 40. Other profanities include multiple utterances of “p—y,” “a–hole,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “a–,” “h—” and the British vulgarity, “wanker.” We also hear the c-word.
A group of nuns is nearly run over by a car and each of them performs crude hand gestures in return. Other people use crude hand gestures as well.
Men and women alike consume shots of hard liquor, cocktails, beer, wine and champagne. A few men smoke cigars and make jokes about getting drunk.
An evil dictator fondly admires a painting of Napoleon. A group of rogue criminals steals expensive jewelry. Men and women gamble at a casino in Las Vegas. An agent tells a group of friends that “marriage and mortgages” are bad ideas. During a play, a woman spits in a man’s face onstage. A drunken man urinates on a bathroom floor (we don’t see any exposed body parts except for his bare thighs).
6 Underground is an action-packed “thriller” from start to finish, directed by none other than Michael Bay. And, as you might assume when you hear that name, intense violence, graphic sexual scenes and crude language are the main ingredients in this Netflix original.
So what sets this apart from all the other flicks that rely on the same ingredients? Well, a big name like Ryan Reynolds. And an underlying plot that wants you to think justice is best doled out by rogue agents bent on spilling blood.
There’s not much to see here, really. Michael Bay’s Netflix debut is little more than endless explosions, an unbelievable plot and explicit content. Oh, and Ryan Reynolds.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
