The Predator Strikes Again (On Netflix!): A Box Office Bomb Becomes a Streaming Hit!
The Predator (2018): A Second Life on Netflix Six Years Later!
The Predator (2018), directed by Shane Black, might not have been a box office hit back in its initial theatrical release. This fourth installment in the Predator franchise only managed to earn around $160.5 million worldwide against its $88 million budget. Critics really trashed it. Yet now— six years later—it's a GLOBAL hit on Netflix, showing up in the global top ten during that period of October 7-13, racking up a truly insane 23.3 million hours viewed and 12.9 million total views.
That’s remarkable! Even though it wasn't #1 (that spot went to The Menendez Brothers which was oddly also a major success during that week). This demonstrates that its status on that list and the general positive reception— despite the terrible prior reviews which only makes this result truly even more shocking; the film beats out new releases such as Lonely Planet and Bad Boys: Ride or Die! We are discussing just how remarkable it is for that particular Predator movie which received mostly bad reviews. And this calls out several additional points in the upcoming sections.
Why This Surprisingly Bad Movie Became a Netflix Hit
The initial critical reception was awful, folks: just 34% on Rotten Tomatoes for critics and an even worse audience score (a paltry 32%). Yet many points really redeem this thing and suggest this initial lack of critical acclaim failed to recognize some key strengths; that initial critical failure could just be some kind of oversight or possibly just outright misjudgment:
- Shane Black's signature humor is still very apparent in parts, providing a counterbalance to all that intense action. The overall amount of humor really varies widely–however those key, good bits actually deliver moments worth praising.
- The action is inconsistent but shows that familiar Predator brutality.
- Sterling K. Brown's performance as Traeger is magnificent! The actor brings real charisma and made for something unexpectedly memorable. This added a totally surprising and enjoyable aspect worth watching. Even Boyd Holbrook's portrayal of Quinn McKenna gets special praise; these added points alone were possibly more memorable for some audience members.
This also demonstrates that tastes evolve and are somewhat subjective, a fact reinforced through these new streaming numbers, this success proves what could happen given more time: the fact that the initial judgment simply reflects this kind of initial limited engagement.
The Predator’s Unexpected Legacy: How It Became A Streaming Surprise
Compared to Prey (2022), this title is widely considered the WORST in the franchise. Prey’s success suggests there’s still room for greatness in the Predator universe! The massive positive turnaround and reception generated after that major critical reassessment and critical success totally revived the franchise—something impossible without generating that kind of interest in a title that wasn’t necessarily thought of to be salvageable before its arrival.
And those Netflix numbers suggest people are revisiting The Predator (or discovering it now)! Its success shows that opinions can shift dramatically; showcasing the impact that streaming access could truly provide; helping generate massive amounts of appreciation from audience members that previously did not appreciate these particular efforts, even though that kind of potential was previously underutilized or totally ignored when these Movies received extremely low initial reviews upon theatrical releases.
Conclusion: A Second Chance at Greatness? The Predator's Ongoing Fight
While The Predator isn’t without its issues, it proves this major truth: time can heal (even bad Predator movies!). Its new-found Netflix success is noteworthy and reminds that there's always opportunity to redeem previously unloved efforts in movie productions; the immense positive results achieved even for titles deemed unredeemable simply proves there was something there that the initial assessment totally ignored. These events create new life; these possibilities of bringing back failed theatrical titles to re-establish them into new streaming releases showcase the various strengths and weaknesses of existing movie releases, as well as adding interesting points on movie’s legacy and success based on their engagement throughout longer periods of time after the release.
