Mark Wahlberg’s Most Underrated War Epic Is Finally Deploying on Netflix
Mark Wahlberg’s harrowing 2013 war thriller Lone Survivor is marching onto Netflix in January, bringing its real-life mission — and one of his fiercest performances — to a much bigger audience.
Mark Wahlberg's brutal true-story war drama is about to be way easier to stream. If you've somehow skipped Lone Survivor since 2013, Netflix is about to put it right in front of you.
When and where
Lone Survivor hits Netflix on January 1, 2026. According to Whats on Netflix, it lands right on New Year's Day. Nothing says "fresh start" like a Peter Berg firefight.
What it is
Directed by Peter Berg and released in 2013, Lone Survivor adapts the 2007 book by former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and writer Patrick Robinson. It's based on a real 2005 mission in Afghanistan to find and eliminate Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. Wahlberg plays Luttrell, and he goes hard here — it's one of his most intense, physically punishing turns.
The story (clean version)
A four-man SEAL unit is dropped into the mountains. They run into local civilians. Following the rules of engagement, they let them go. That decision blows their cover, and the team is suddenly up against overwhelming numbers. What follows is a harrowing, minute-by-minute fight to survive that puts the physical punishment and the moral fallout front and center.
Who is in it
- Mark Wahlberg as Marcus Luttrell
- Taylor Kitsch as Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy
- Emile Hirsch as Danny Dietz
- Ben Foster as Matthew Axelson
- Eric Bana as Lieutenant Commander Erik S. Kristensen
How it landed
Critics were into it: a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 224 reviews. Audiences were even more enthusiastic at 87%. If you want the vibe in one pull-quote, Metro's Nicholas Barber nailed it:
"It's a heartfelt tribute to the brave young American soldiers who sacrifice their lives for their country, but it also makes that sacrifice seem like the most exciting extreme sport imaginable."
The numbers
It was a strong box office performer: over $154 million worldwide on a reported $40 million budget. That breaks down to roughly $125 million domestic and $29 million international, per Box Office Mojo.
Bottom line
Gritty, muscular, very loud, and based on the real thing — Lone Survivor is the kind of mid-2010s studio war movie that does exactly what it promises. If you missed it in theaters (or on cable reruns for a decade), Netflix will have it ready to go January 1, 2026.