Netflix is currently home to the latest entry in the long-running Sniper franchise, the best action series you may have never heard of. The Sniper movie franchise sits at 12 films thus far and launched way back in 1993. The original is the only entry that nabbed a theatrical release too, and involved a veteran sniper (Tom Berenger) forced to take a rookie NSC Agent (Billy Zane) along on a dangerous mission.

Sniper was only a modest hit, but it really found its audience on TV and VHS. It had enough of a following to receive a STV sequel in 2002, and the saga has been a reliable action mainstay since. It has often switched genres and had a revolving cast of characters, with 2017’s Sniper: Ultimate Kill being the Avengers: Endgame of the property that united all the lead characters for one movie.

Incredibly, Sniper has beaten out the likes of Fast & Furious or Rocky with 12 installments and counting. Like any long-running series, there are a few duds dotted along the way, but the quality of the movies has remained impressively constant and fans know that when they fire up the latest outing, they are going on a fun, 90-minute ride.

The Action Franchise That Started In The 1990s & Continues On Netflix: Sniper Explained

Sniper was always an unlikely candidate for a franchise. While both its protagonists survived the original, Berenger’s Beckett had his trigger finger severed and his career seemed done. Sniper 2 pulled him out of retirement and was such a hit that Berenger quickly returned for another sequel. The star soon bowed out, though, and from part four onwards, Chad Michael Collins has led Sniper as Beckett’s estranged son, Brandon.

The Sniper sequels might lack blockbuster budgets, but they always deliver solid action and have a more grounded feel. They’ve experimented with different tones, sometimes to mixed results; 2025’s The Last Stand had a seriously effective twist and felt like a modern-day Western, whereas comedic offerings like G.R.I.T. jarred with the grittier tone of past adventures. There is clearly a loyal following for the series, though, as new instalments have arrived regularly since 2011, with Sniper: No Nation having just landed on Netflix.

Why The Sniper Movies Are Successful On Netflix (But Never Talked About)

No Nation is a direct follow-up to the events of The Last Stand, where Beckett and his team accidentally create a scandal after destroying a superweapon before it could fall into the hands of a corrupt government. No Nation is one of the darkest sequels yet, and builds to an unexpected cliffhanger. Like most of the prior offerings Sniper: No Nation has become a big hit on Netflix, and according to Nielsen, has clocked up over 270 minutes viewed, placing it in the top ten besides Obsession and Project Hail Mary.

That brings things back to the question of how a relatively obscure franchise can clock up a dozen entries and have such a fanbase. Well, it comes down to the Sniper franchise offering audiences unpretentious, throwback actioners that are in stark contrast to the more bloated, CGI-assisted action movies that go to theaters.

It has become a reliable brand for loyal viewers, who enjoy checking in with Beckett and his team and experiencing a reliable dose of well-staged shootouts and fights. That makes something like Sniper: No Nation an easy click when it lands on Netflix’s “Your Next Watch” section.

Sniper: No Nation Is Getting A Sequel

Sniper: No Nation wasn’t announced as a two-parter, which makes its abrupt ending all the more surprising. Without getting into spoilers, the final scene sure makes it look like an important character won’t be returning next time, which should make the upcoming No Nation 2 all the more personal for the team.

There’s no release date set for Sniper: No Nation 2, though a brief teaser can be seen after the end of the current installment. A 2027 release feels likely – and the film is even more likely to arrive on Netflix soon after.

Source: Nielsen

Cast

Tom Berenger, Chad Michael Collins, Billy Zane, Danay Garcia, Ryan Robbins, Sayaka Akimoto, Janeth Barreto, Jocelyn Hudon, Stephanie Vogt, Dennis Haysbert, Lochlyn Munro

Created by

Michael Frost Beckner, Crash Leyland

Movie(s)

Sniper, Sniper 2, Sniper 3, Sniper: Reloaded, Sniper: Legacy, Sniper: Ghost Shooter, Sniper: Ultimate Kill, Sniper: Assassin’s End, Sniper: Rogue Mission, Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team