Netflix has released The Outsider trailer. The film stars Jared Leto as a jailed American soldier who is freed by his Yakuza cellmate and ends up joining the criminal syndicate as a way to repay his debt. Such repayment apparently includes beating people to death with typewriters.

The Outsider has been in development for a while and at one point was eyeing Tom Hardy or Michael Fassbender to star with possibly Takashi Miike on board to direct. However, the final product came out with Leto and the director’s chair being filled by Danish helmer Martin Zandvliet (Land of Mine).

While some Netflix movies are worth more attention than others (for example, tomorrow sees the release of Mute, which is bound to be divisive, but at least it’s interesting), The Outsider looks more like just more for the content pile the streaming giant accumulates. Sure, Leto is a name actor, but he’s failed to make much of a splash since earning an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. His turn as The Joker was widely panned, and I doubt his work in The Outsider will earn much attention. That being said, the film might just end up being a solid B-movie even if Leto doesn’t seem particularly convincing as a hitman in the Japanese underworld. Of course, the grab-nature of Netflix movies means we won't really know until the film comes online.

Check out The Outsider trailer below. The film also stars Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shiina, Shioli Kutsuna, Emile Hirsch, Raymond Nicholson, Rory Cochrane, Nao Omori, and Min Tanaka. The Outsider hits Netflix on March 9th.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Outsider:

Set in post-WWII Japan, an imprisoned American soldier (Leto) is released with the help of his Yakuza cellmate. Now free, he sets out to earn their respect and repay his debt while navigating the dangerous criminal underworld

the-outsider-poster