(Credit: Netflix)

John Travolta is back again in the Netflix spotlight, and no, it is not for a dance number or a new release. Instead, a dark and deeply uncomfortable thriller he led in 1999 is climbing the charts on Netflix UK, and it is catching viewers off guard.

We are talking about the 71-year-old’s mystery thriller, The General’s Daughter. It is not the kind of film you expect to find in the charts in 2025, but here it is, making noise all over again. The film has been set against the backdrop of a sharp military setting and a twisted mystery, and best of all, it has Travolta with his quiet, intense energy. It is not yet another feel-good flick but a cold thriller with more secrets than answers.

The Mad City actor plays the role of Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, who is a sharp CID investigator. The film is set in the shadowy world of military secrecy. It takes a twist when the daughter of a high-profile general, Captain Elisabeth Campbell, is found murdered in the military base. Brenner is called to investigate the case, and although it begins as a seemingly straightforward murder investigation, it quickly reveals itself as a tightly wound mess of trauma, cover-ups and unhealed old wounds.

One of the best parts about this film is that it is not gentle. The secrets that unravel are cold and are likely to give you chills at times. Elisabeth’s murder holds so much importance because she wasn’t just the general’s daughter, but also a woman who was caught between failed power structures.

As Travolta’s character digs deeper into the investigation, he finds out that the investigation is turning into a morally complex situation, which is getting quite personal and uncomfortable with each unravelling layer. It won’t be wrong to say that the film is not your average procedural drama but something that wants you to squirm a little.

So why is the film making noise again? The biggest reason is that it was recently added to the catalogue of Netflix UK. And with all the eyes on the throwback thrillers of the ’90s these days, the timing of the launch could not have been better. A wide search traffic of the OTT giant is driving towards mystery thrillers, in which case The General‘s Daughter will always make the list.

But that is not the only reason, as it is also necessary to rule in the Travolta factor. The actor knows how to command the frame even when he is not in his peak form. However, the film itself has not aged as well as it should have. The dialogues in the film are quite heavy-handed in some places, and the music feels straight out of a soap opera. At times, there are unnecessarily dramatic shots that serve no other purpose than to scream that the situation is serious. But beneath all this, there is the commentary that still holds weight and is one of the reasons why the audience presses play.

So, whether it is your first time watching this Travolta classic or an out of curiosity revisit, The General’s Daughter is a reminder that the actor is quite capable of carrying a serious drama. No unnecessary dance numbers, no leather jackets, just a man with questions and intense energy.

Well, maybe that’s why it is trending again.