When Red Notice premiered on Netflix in 2021, it became the platform’s most-watched original film at the time — and for good reason. With a trio of Hollywood’s biggest stars — Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot — it delivered fast-paced action, witty banter, glamorous locations, and a slick blend of heist film and buddy comedy.
The ending of Red Notice pulled the rug out from under viewers, revealing that Johnson’s Agent Hartley was actually not a lawman at all, but working with Gadot’s character — the seductive and cunning art thief known as The Bishop — all along. Together, they double-cross Reynolds’ charming con artist, Nolan Booth, before all three join forces for the next big score.
The setup was clear: a sequel was inevitable.
In Red Notice 2, the infamous trio — Nolan Booth (Reynolds), The Bishop (Gadot), and John Hartley (Johnson) — are now international fugitives, but richer than ever after pulling off a heist that shook Interpol to its core. The film opens in Tokyo, where the trio stages an elaborate infiltration of a high-security auction to steal a priceless artifact: a lost Fabergé egg gifted to a Japanese emperor.
But something goes wrong. The egg isn’t just a treasure — it’s a key to a vault in Marrakesh, said to hold legendary treasures looted during World War II. And they’re not the only ones after it.
Enter MI6 agent Eleanor Sharp, played by someone like Vanessa Kirby, and a rival thief — Lazlo, a suave yet brutal ex-KGB art trafficker (imagine Pedro Pascal or Oscar Isaac) who has his own vendetta against The Bishop.
As loyalties fracture, secrets from each character’s past begin to surface. Booth discovers that The Bishop and Hartley may have been playing a longer con than he imagined — and that he may not have been invited into the trio, but manipulated into it.
Meanwhile, Hartley begins to doubt The Bishop’s loyalty as she grows closer to Lazlo, her old flame. The lines between love, lies, and loyalty blur as the crew races across continents to unlock the final vault — only to realize that the real prize isn’t treasure, but truth.
While Red Notice 2 still thrives on fast-paced action and banter, it adds a touch more emotional depth and mystery than its predecessor. This time, the central question isn't “Who will steal the artifact?” — it's “Who is conning who?”
Each character is tested:
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Booth, once the world’s second-best art thief, is trying to prove he’s more than a punchline.
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The Bishop, a master manipulator, is facing a personal choice: keep playing the game or risk losing everything for something real.
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Hartley, the supposed muscle, is caught between loyalty and love — but might just have his own final twist to reveal.
Red Notice 2 goes even bigger with its action. Think:
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A motorcycle chase through the neon-lit streets of Shibuya, dodging drones and elite security.
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A Rome museum heist set during an elite masquerade ball, complete with underwater vaults and fake identities.
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A desert train showdown in Morocco with helicopters, sandstorms, and double-crosses mid-fight.
All of it is laced with sharp dialogue, stylish editing, and a slick, James Bond-meets-Ocean’s Eleven vibe.
Just when Booth thinks he’s finally a full partner, The Bishop vanishes — again. But instead of betrayal, it’s a setup for an even bigger job: a whispered rumor of The Red Vault, a mythical collection said to house stolen art and state secrets from every government on Earth. It’s a vault so protected that no one’s even seen it.
In the final scene, the three are seen approaching the ruins of a Cold War-era Russian bunker beneath the Arctic ice. Booth smirks, “Do we really need this much money?”
The Bishop replies, “It’s not about the money. It’s about making history.” Cue credits — and setup for Red Notice 3.
Red Notice 2, as imagined, delivers exactly what fans want: globe-hopping escapism, beautiful people pulling clever heists, betrayals that keep you guessing, and a wink at the camera every few minutes. But it also takes one step deeper, asking whether people like Hartley, Booth, and The Bishop can ever stop running the con — or if they’re too good at lying to ever truly trust anyone, even each other.
It’s stylish, smart, self-aware, and never tries to be more than it is: a fun, fast-paced heist movie with just enough heart to keep us invested.
If done right, the Red Notice franchise could become Netflix’s own Mission: Impossible — a trilogy (or more) of clever thrillers that globe-trot, double-cross, and remind us that sometimes, crime really does pay… if you’re charismatic enough.
