The Hottest Movie On Netflix Is A Twisted New Sci-Fi Thriller

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Netflix’s latest international thriller Brick dropped earlier this month, and while it’s climbing the streaming charts worldwide, critics aren’t exactly stacking up the praise. Brick is currently the sixth most-watched movie on the streamer, behind only Happy Gilmore-related content and some random K-pop offerings.

Don’t confuse Netflix’s Brick with the 2005 movie of the same name. That film starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt and was deservedly critically acclaimed. Go watch that Brick immediately if you haven’t seen it.

Matthias Schweighöfer in Brick (2025)

This new Netflix Brick is a directed by Tribes of Europa creator Philip Koch, Brick is a German-language psychological survival story that traps its characters, and its viewers, inside four walls and a very frustrating mystery.

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The premise is slick and immediate: one morning, a couple wakes up to find their apartment door completely bricked over. A seamless black wall of strange material has sealed them inside. There’s no way out, no water, no cell service, and no explanation.

Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee in Brick (2025)

It’s like Cube meets The Platform, minus the philosophical punch. The building’s other residents are just as confused, and as desperation sets in, the group turns to paranoia, violence, and some wild techno-theories about what’s going on.

Brick stars real-life couple Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of Thieves) and Ruby O. Fee (Polar) as Tim and Liv, a pair already strained by grief after a miscarriage. That emotional trauma forms the backdrop for what becomes a tense and surreal series of encounters inside their blocked-off apartment complex. There’s a possibly radioactive wall, a creepy old man, a couple of drug-addled tourists, and a conspiracy guy named Yuri who is either absolutely crazy or the only one paying attention.

Matthias Schweighöfer in Brick (2025)

The film is beautifully claustrophobic, shot on location in Prague, with a sharp visual style that elevates its minimalist setup. But while the look is airtight, the script leaks. Early on, there’s real suspense, until things start getting explained. Critics of the film say the more Brick talks, the less you care.

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Brick premiered at Filmfest München in early July and hit Netflix on July 10. Within a week, it cracked the Netflix Top 10 around the world. That streaming success hasn’t translated into acclaim. It’s sitting at a rough 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, with users even lower at 26%. IMDb has it at 5.4/10. Critics call it a “go-nowhere high-concept thriller.”

Scene from Netflix’s Brick (2025)

Brick is crafted so that it’s watchable enough to keep people on the platform. That’s Netflix’s user engagement magic trick: even when the story falls apart, you still want to see how it ends. Brick is their latest streaming machination. Please don’t fall for it.