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Every few weeks, a movie like “Black Lotus” hits streaming platforms—a low-budget, straight-to-streaming action flick, typically featuring stars like Frank Grillo, Scott Adkins, or Steve Austin. Up until recently, you might have seen Bruce Willis or Steven Seagal in these roles, though both have since retired. What sets “Black Lotus” apart for me is the unique combination of its setting and its lead actor. Instead of the usual Eastern European backdrop, the film is set in Amsterdam and marks the starring debut of Dutch MMA fighter Rico Verhoeven.
“Black Lotus” follows Matteo (Rico Verhoeven), a former special forces operative who is pulled back into action when the daughter of his late team leader is kidnapped by a human trafficking ring.
This all feels pretty familiar, as it’s a formula that’s been done to death, with the first “Taken” movie setting the gold standard. “Black Lotus” is a far cry from the “Taken” films—and even from the average quality of these straight-to-streaming action flicks. What typically works best for these types of movies is a handful of solid fight scenes strung together by the thinnest possible plot. Early Seagal films perfected this approach, especially in “Out for Justice“. The setup was simple: establish the plot in the first scene, then spend the next 80 minutes following Seagal from location to location, where he just beats people up. It’s that straightforward. The catch? That requires well-choreographed fight sequences, which take time to execute—something these films, often shot in one to two weeks, rarely have.
Aside from the opening scene where Matteo’s team leader is shot, the action in “Black Lotus” doesn’t really kick in until around the 45-minute mark. Considering the entire movie is only 90 minutes long, including the opening and end credits, that leaves little time for Verhoeven to make an impact as an action star.
The fights Verhoeven does have are decent, but nothing you haven’t seen a dozen times before. It’s your standard punching and kicking—moves we’ve even seen Liam Neeson pull off convincingly on screen. What Verhoeven lacks is an original, signature move. Van Damme stood out because he could do the splits and deliver a perfect 360-degree jump kick. Scott Adkins elevated on-screen kickboxing to a whole new level in the “Undisputed” films. Verhoeven, on the other hand, doesn’t bring that kind of standout physicality to his fight scenes. But beyond that, he’s missing something even more critical: charisma.
I never expected Verhoeven to deliver an award-winning performance, but he’s extremely stiff here, and his line delivery is sometimes unintentionally funny. The script doesn’t do him any favors either, giving him a one-dimensional character to work with, despite trying to inject some depth by having Matteo feel guilty about the loss of his team leader. Even that emotional angle falls flat, leaving little room for Verhoeven to showcase any range beyond the basics.
Although “Black Lotus” stars a Dutch actor and is set in Amsterdam, the entire film is in English, which creates a strange dynamic. The cast is made up of actors from various nationalities, many of whom struggle with their accents. Frank Grillo, who plays the antagonist, is easily the film’s standout element—but that’s hardly surprising. As a professional actor and a native English speaker, he has a clear advantage over the rest of the cast, delivering a much more polished performance. But even Grillo is stuck playing just another dime-a-dozen gangster.
The only thing saving “Black Lotus” from a one-star rating is its locations and cinematography. It’s refreshing to see a production set in Amsterdam, showcasing familiar landmarks, with a final showdown in an empty Dam Square that adds an interesting visual element. The film looks good overall, opting for a mostly natural color palette. However, during the final confrontations, some scenes are clearly shot in midday but have been tweaked in color to make them appear as if it’s dawn.
However, “Black Lotus” doesn’t offer much else, unless you’re particularly interested in seeing a bare-chested Rico Verhoeven. Even then, if that’s what you’re after, it would be better to just watch his fight scenes.
