Reacher Fans Need To Watch Alan Ritchson's Forgotten Directorial Debut

"Reacher" has proved to be a massive hit for Prime Video, with season 3 breaking ratings records for the streamer. As enjoyable as the action and writing is on the show, though, there's no getting around the fact that star Alan Ritchson is the main draw. Not only has he given fans a physically accurate version of Jack Reacher after Tom Cruise failed to do so with his two movies based on Lee Child's novels, but he's also brought an array of other skills to the role that have made the series one of Prime Video's most successful. The actor adeptly handles Reacher's atypical sense of humor, for example, bringing the character to life in a way that goes beyond simply being a 235-pound monster of a man.

But "Reacher" was hardly the first time Ritchson demonstrated his comedic timing and general sense of humor. The actor, who's been working ever since he appeared as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in "Smallville" back in 2006, has frequently demonstrated his sillier side throughout his career — something he'll no doubt showcase again in his and Arnold Schwarzenegger's upcoming Christmas comedy, "The Man with the Bag.". Even just prior to the actor's debut as the titular ex-Army policeman in "Reacher," he was demonstrating his comedic chops in a movie that he directed, co-wrote, and appeared in. What's more, he finally gave fans what they had surely wanted for decades by wearing a diaper and charging through a forest in the delightful mashup of a film that was 2021's "Dark Web: Cicada 3301."

"Dark Web: Cicada 3301" is an action-comedy thriller that marked Alan Ritchson's directorial debut. The actor wrote the movie himself before bringing in Joshua Montcalm to tighten up the script. As he once told TooFab, "I had a version of the script, it wasn't very good. I called my buddy [Montcalm] who's a much better writer than I am, and he brought all of that to life, like the best parts of the script, he brought it to life." According to Ritchson, it was Montcalm that inspired the mashup of genres that eventually characterized "Dark Web," with the actor adding, "I want to blend all the genres and he opened up the world for me in a big way." But Ritchson didn't just co-write and direct the movie. He also appeared in a supporting role which saw him provide much of the film's comic relief.

The story is based upon the real life "Cicada 3301," the name used to refer to eight sets of puzzles that were posted online between 2012 and 2014. This mysterious online occurrence remains just as mysterious today. Nobody knows who was behind it or why beyond the stated intent, which was to recruit "intelligent individuals." Ritchson, however, thought he might provide his own back story.

"Dark Web" stars Jack Kesy (who fronted the lower-budget comic book movie "Hellboy: The Crooked Man") as Connor, a genius hacker who embarks on a journey to solve the Cicada puzzles, which in the movie take the form of an online treasure hunt. Connor, his art-expert friend Avi (Ron Funches), and the librarian Gwen (Ritchson's "Titans" costar Conor Leslie) travel the world to solve the clues while Ritchson's NSA agent Carver pursues them in a bid to take down the shady Cicada organization for himself. Though the movie was, as the trailer puts it, "inspired by the true phenomenon," it doesn't necessarily take that phenomenon too seriously. The story is recounted from Connor's point of view, and he often indulges wild flights of fancy, claiming that Agent Carver once led an operation in the wilderness dressed as a giant diaper-clad baby — and just in case you're wondering, yes, we do get to see this fantasy in-full.

Why might Alan Ritchson want to write a movie in which he runs around in a diaper for our entertainment? Well, it seems that, for whatever reason, he had humiliation on the brain. The actor told TooFab that he aimed to see "how humiliating [he] could make a couple of the moments," and the baby scene is just one example. (There's also a BDSM-inspired scene which, depending on why you like "Reacher," may or may not be your cup of tea.)

Lionsgate released "Dark Web" on March 12, 2021, to digital platforms, and it received a solid response. There aren't enough reviews for the movie to have been given a Rotten Tomatoes score as of yet, but of the four reviews that are available on the aggregator, two are positive. Brian Costello of Common Sense Media, for example, called the film "an action-comedy that somehow manages to be engaging despite all the clichés." Carla Hay of Culture Mix, however, wasn't a fan of the movie's "convoluted plot" or "cheesy comedy," which in her estimation "includes a homophobic fixation on depicting gay male sexuality as something to shamefully ridicule." If you want to make up your own mind on that latter point, the movie is available on the usual digital platforms.

Agent Carver isn't one of Ritchson's best roles, but if you're a fan of the actor, this is well worth checking out — not only because it showcases his comedic sensibility but also because it represents his directorial debut. As Ritchson continues to break into the mainstream following his "Reacher" success, we'll likely see more of him both on-screen and behind the camera. He's already producing several upcoming films in which he is starring, and we're sure to see more of his writing and directing abilities in the near future. As such, "Dark Web" provides an insight into his filmmaking talents and how they might evolve as time goes on. And again, you also get to see Alan Ritchson running around in a diaper with a gun.