I just watched Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds' 2012 action thriller on Netflix, and I still have questions

(Image credit: Alamy) The Tom's Guide verdict: 'Safe House' (2012)Rating: 2.5/5 starsVerdict: "Safe House" should have been a hit. It features two experienced stars in an action movie. It's an espionage spy thriller loaded with supporting talent. The formula for success is there. Unfortunately, this movie is mostly bland with a predictable script. Nobody is bad, but nobody is good, except for maybe Denzel Washington and Brendan Gleeson. 2.5 out of 5 stars is generous, rewarding the movie for sheer baseline competency of filmmaking rather than any sort of spark.Where to watch: Stream "Safe House" on Netflix"Safe House" might be the worst type of movie that I've come across in my now 40-week-long Denzel Watchathon: a movie that wastes Denzel's talent.It also, admittedly, falls into another onerous category: unthrilling thrillers.To be clear, I've seen far worse movies than this action thriller co-starring Ryan Reynolds. To this movie's credit, I've even seen worse thrillers starring Denzel Washington. But this might be one of the most disappointing movies I've seen in my yearlong odyssey through Denzel's filmography, in no small part because this movie should be good."Safe House" is remarkably bland, despite its efforts to be thrilling. And even though you can stream it on Netflix right now, I'm not sure I'd recommend it over other Denzel movies you'd have to pay hard-earned cash to buy or rent.If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have good news! It's currently streaming on Netflix, one of the best streaming services we've tested. Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom's Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones. I don't understand how this movie didn't work"Safe House" wasn't a total box office flop, so there's a chance, if you're reading this, you watched it when it came out 14 years ago. But for those who haven't, the premise of this espionage action thriller is simple. Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a CIA officer on his first posting at a quiet safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. He wants nothing more than some excitement, ideally by getting to leave Cape Town for more glamorous locales.This should make for an excellent spy thriller. This should be loaded with excitement. And yet, after 115 minutes, I felt nothing. He gets his wish, though it's quickly a nightmare instead of a dream. A team led by Daniel Kiefer (Robert Patrick) brings in infamous former CIA operative Tobin Frost (Washington), and suddenly the place is anything but quiet. They try to determine why Frost, who has been on the run for nine years, just walked into a U.S. consulate. Before they can figure it out, though, mercenaries chasing Tobin attack the safe house, and now Weston is on the run with Frost as his prisoner, still desperate to escape.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.This should make for an excellent spy thriller. This should be loaded with excitement. And yet, watching it over the course of 115 minutes, I felt nothing. There are a few moments of dialogue from Denzel about how the CIA are shadow figures, but that's about all we get in terms of gravitas. Even the fight choreography, while passable, is nothing that gets the blood racing.Read more Denzel WatchathonSo why, when all signs point to this movie being an easy hit, is "Safe House" such a flop? Watching it, it felt like the script was simply not up to snuff, and in retrospect, that may have been what ultimately doomed this movie. This was screenwriter David Guggenheim's first feature-length film, and nothing he's done since in his filmography is particularly inspiring. Perhaps, with a more experienced screenwriter, this movie would have had more spark.Or perhaps it's the direction of the film that's to blame. Director Daniel Espinosa had never handled a project of this scale before, and since then, he's gone on to do "Morbius," arguably one of the worst movies ever made. Is he a better director than me? Almost certainly. Is he good enough to have crafted an electric thriller starring two of Hollywood's biggest names? Perhaps not.Verdict: 'Safe House' is safe to skip on Netflix Safe House (2012) Trailer - HD Movie - Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds - YouTube Watch On Whether it's the script or the direction that failed, it's undeniable that this movie fails to be an engaging thriller. Again, it's competently made. At no point will you watch this and start yelling at your TV in exasperation. Granted, that might be because it will struggle to get you to look up from your phone, but I promise you, if you do choose to see this movie, you won't be mad you saw it.But that said, even though it's included on Netflix, I can't recommend you take nearly two hours out of your day to see it. There's simply better stuff out there to watch. Even if you had to spend money to buy or rent a movie, as I did last week when I watched "Unstoppable" — a far superior thriller dripping with tension — you'll find it a far better investment, despite the higher price.Stream "Safe House" on Netflix now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.More from Tom's Guide'Resident Evil' review: Officially the best video game movie of all time, but also Zach Cregger's worst'The Weight' pits Ethan Hawke against Russell Crowe in a dark heist movie that's a must-watchHow to get NFL Sunday Ticket for 2026-2027 season — Pricing, where to watch and more Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.