Matchbox The Movie

Play trailer

2:47

Matchbox The Movie

PG-13

2026

2h 6m

Action

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

30%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Inspired by the iconic Mattel toys, "Matchbox The Movie" is an action-packed, globetrotting adventure about a group of friends since childhood who have their lives upended when undercover CIA agent Sean (John Cena), their long-absent former leader, returns to their small town and unwittingly gets them embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world.

Watch on Apple TV

Stream Now

Audience Says

Matchbox the Movie is fun, but its reluctance to embrace either full-throttle adventure or goofy comedy keeps it stuck in neutral.

Read Audience Reviews

Helen O'Hara

Empire Magazine

Oct 13, 2026

1/5

A risible mess of in-your-face product placement and overly familiar plotting, this can’t be saved even by a talented cast of comedians. You’d be better off playing with toy cars.

Go to Full Review

Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

Oct 12, 2026

Matchbox: The Movie aims for nothing — it can’t really fail because there are no expectations.

Go to Full Review

Nell Minow

RogerEbert.com

Oct 12, 2026

3/4

The film aims to bring to life the imagination a child brings to his toys, and it delivers with a welcome spirit and even a little sweetness.

Go to Full Review

Maxance Vincent

Cosmic Circus

Oct 29, 2026

2.5/5

It’s almost miraculous that Sam Hargrave’s skills as an action artist remain intact in a movie that feels as if it was written (and conceived) by an algorithm.

Go to Full Review

Alex Maidy

JoBlo's Movie Network

Oct 26, 2026

6/10

Matchbox: The Movie will probably be overlooked by those who either don’t have a connection to the die-cast toys or may not see how it connects plotwise.

Go to Full Review

Matt Lynch

In Review Online

Oct 24, 2026

Apart from its corporate mandate, Matchbox‘s only real imperative was to platform a few amusing, charismatic performances and deliver some nifty action. It seems like everyone here basically got the open book assignment.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Wack J

@Code70 4 hrs ago

Truly terrible. I don’t even know where to begin. Even based on the limited info I possess on the “Matchbox” brand, this was a truly bizarre adaption of said brand. The movie’s heavily action centered, and when they do talk, it’s rarely ever about Matchbox cars. Only a couple of times. It’s literally just something they collectively liked as kids. But even beyond that, it’s just a really bad movie on its own terms. It’s another incredibly generic streaming action/comedy with poor writing, thin characterizations, terrible humor and with almost nothing distinct about it. And what’s crazy is that the director is Sam Hargrave. The guy who did/is doing the Extraction movies as well as Atomic Blonde. The only way you can sort of tell it’s him is in the action, which is admittedly really good, and the only really notably positive thing about the movie. Overall though, it’s just generic and stupid as can be. The type of movie you won’t remember a week after watching it.

See more

Cash A

@RT43804345 1 day ago

A fun romp with good leads. Enjoyable but won't change your life.

See more

Dolly G

@RT25738855 4 days ago

Too predictable, nothing unique. Storyline tying in the beloved matchbox cars could have been stronger. The movie uses formulaic characters so typical of Hollywood movies today

See more

Deron B

@DapigeonOne 4 days ago

Not a bad movie I love the few matchbox tie ins that were actually there not nearly enough for a matchbox movie however. The script was genuinely awful not bad performances tho. The action completely carries non stop from beginning to end makes it worth the watch.

See more

Torin F

@nonlinearize 5 days ago

MATCHBOX THE MOVIE has many of the right ingredients for a successful action-comedy blockbuster, including some impressive stunts and practical effects, but a lazy premise, middling script and uneven cast prevent the elements from fully cohering. The product placement often feels more like homage than overt promotion, but adds little to a film that largely seems to be going through the motions, making for a forgettable popcorn flick.

See more

Karen H

@sonomakaren 5 days ago

Laugh out loud fun! Exactly the right mix of humor and action!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Sam Hargrave

Director

John Cena

Sean

Jessica Biel

Aimee

Sam Richardson

Crosby

Teyonah Parris

Charmaine

Arturo Castro

Ted

Matchbox The Movie: Clip - Duolingo

1:18

Now Playing

Matchbox The Movie: Clip - Tossing Your Friends

0:53

Now Playing

View more videos

Matchbox The Movie: Comic-Con Trailer

2:47

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Inspired by the iconic Mattel toys, "Matchbox The Movie" is an action-packed, globetrotting adventure about a group of friends since childhood who have their lives upended when undercover CIA agent Sean (John Cena), their long-absent former leader, returns to their small town and unwittingly gets them embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world.

Director: Sam Hargrave
Producer: David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Robbie Brenner, Ynon Kreiz, Jules Daly
Screenwriter: David Coggeshall
Distributor: Apple TV
Production Co: Apple Original Films, Skydance Media, Mattel Films
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Sequences of Violence/Action)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 9, 2026
Runtime: 2h 6m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings