The streaming era has given plenty of movies a second chance at success, and another commercial and critical flop has just become a streaming hit. Netflix’s top movies for the most recent week of viewing are once again topped by the juggernaut that is KPop Demon Hunters. The movie, which has a sequel on the way, takes first place on both the U.S. and global streaming lists, logging 30.2 million hours viewed. Mixed in with other Top 10 films like Ruth & Boaz, Karate Kid: Legends, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a 2023 comedy flop that has become a surprise Netflix hit.
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The film in question is About My Father, director Laura Terruso’s 2023 comedy loosely based on star Sebastian Maniscalco’s life and his relationship with his father. The movie, also starring Robert De Niro, was a certified flop in every sense of the word upon its theatrical release but is now enjoying newfound success on Netflix after joining the platform on October 1st. The streamer shared its official top 10 movies chart for the week of September 29th-October 5th, revealing that About My Father logged 3.2 million hours viewed and 2.1 million views during that period, making it the ninth-most popular film on Netflix globally and the fifth-most popular movie in the U.S.
About My Father Is Finally Getting the Attention It Deserves
About My Father’s current Netflix ranking comes as a bit of a surprise given its history. The movie underperformed at the box office when it only grossed $18.2 million against a budget of $26 million. It also didn’t earn much love from critics and currently only holds a 37% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. But that doesn’t mean the movie isn’t deserving of its newfound Netflix success. In fact, About My Father is a movie that deserves its millions of streams, which has placed it ahead of titles on the U.S. streaming chart like 10 Things I Hate About You, Alice, Sweet Home Alabama, Idiocracy, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which round out the latter half of the top 10.
The movie is a low-stakes, easy-to-watch, fun comedy that presents a heartwarming story about a father and son and their generational differences. De Niro and Maniscalco’s onscreen chemistry is palpable and reason enough to watch the film. The pair deliver believable and humorous performances as a hard-working, proud immigrant father and his wheedling son, creating a convincing father-son dynamic that ultimately carries the movie and saves it from its weaker aspects. Their back-and-forth banter leads to plenty of humorous moments, and De Niro and Maniscalco successfully play off each other’s energy and comedic chops.
About My Father is in many ways predictable, but it’s a feel-good film packed with plenty of heart and laughs, making it an easy and entertaining watch and its current success on Netflix well-warranted.
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