In the present day, the streaming film is a well-established phenomenon. A contemporary analogue of the dreaded direct-to-video movie, streaming motion pictures are epitomized by, say, a Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy that takes over Prime Video. Or maybe Cameron Diaz’s first movie in 11 years which, whereas marred by horrible critiques, nonetheless manages to dominate Netflix. So, an motion thriller from the second unit director of “Titanic?” That is absolutely bought Netflix written throughout it.
Curiously sufficient, nevertheless, “Renegades,” from filmmaker Steven Quale (“Remaining Vacation spot 5”), did get a theatrical launch again in 2017. It wasn’t in the US, nevertheless it was a theatrical launch nonetheless. Sadly, whenever you spend the equal of $77.5 million on a movie, you absolutely hope it’s going to make greater than $1.5 million on the field workplace, even when it solely hits theaters in Germany and France. “Renegades” (also called “American Renegades”) noticed a theatrical debut within the two European international locations again in 2017 and located its approach stateside through a DVD and Blu-ray launch from Lionsgate. But it surely not solely did not make main cash, it was an outright important failure; “calamity” is the one phrase I can consider that covers it.
So, what’s “Renegades” and why does everybody hate it? It is a movie written by Luc Besson and Richard Wenk a couple of workforce of Navy SEALs that embark on a mission to retrieve stolen Nazi gold from a sunken metropolis on the backside of a lake. If that sounds just like the form of bombastic actioner that is likely to be so unhealthy it is good, check out its 11% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Hey, at the least it has J.Okay. Simmons in it for some purpose.
However wait. Simply as “Renegades” was wanting just like the form of movie that will by no means obtain any form of mainstream recognition, a savior emerges to dredge up the ill-fated motion movie from the gloomy depths of obscurity. Yep, Netflix viewers are watching this factor in droves.
Renegades storms the Netflix charts
“Renegades” … do you actually wish to know the total plot to this one? Past Nazi gold and Navy SEALs, there’s little or no else to cowl, however in case you like the thought of J.Okay. Simmons as a stern Admiral with a penchant for chastising his insubordinate troopers, it has that going for it. Nonetheless, 11% on Rotten Tomatoes … yikes.
However Netflix subscribers apparently cannot get sufficient of Steven Quale’s beforehand unseen movie. In keeping with FlixPatrol, a website that tracks streaming viewership figures throughout the varied platforms, the film has truly fared fairly properly on Netflix, the place it is at the moment quantity three on the U.S. most-watched movie charts. On February 2, 2025, simply in the future after it debuted on the service, it entered the charts within the quantity two spot earlier than slipping all the way down to quantity three a day later. However that also implies that, for a day, it outdid Ralph Fiennes’ delightfully depraved feast, “The Menu,” which on the time of this writing is the primary streaming film on Netflix in the US.
Will “Renegades” be capable to battle its approach to the highest spot? Nicely, it will must defeat the inexplicably mighty “Again in Motion.” Cameron Diaz’s disappearance from Hollywood for 11 years was apparently sufficient to make sure her return could be a giant deal, and “Again in Motion” has now been dominating the Netflix charts for a pair weeks. It is at the moment quantity two on the U.S. rankings, which suggests “Renegades” has its work reduce out for it. If the movie can overcome actually abysmal critiques and the attract of Diaz to get the job performed, although, it will likely be a small victory for Quale and no matter European distributor misplaced hundreds of thousands on his film — however a victory nonetheless.
