Warner Bros. had a banner 2025 with a film slate that balanced blockbuster hits like A Minecraft Movie and Superman with critically acclaimed Oscar winners such as One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Weapons. As the studio celebrated that success, executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy earned a lion’s share of the credit, as they were willing to take chances on some big swings that paid off. Of course, not every gamble worked out as well as they would have hoped. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! was at one point going to be part of that standout 2025 slate, but it pushed back to 2026 and ended up flopping at the box office. But now, it’s finally finding an audience.
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According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of various titles on streaming services, The Bride! is the No. 2 movie on HBO Max in the United States, behind only the Gerard Butler vehicle Greenland 2: Migration. The film was added to the HBO Max library on May 22nd.
The Bride! Bombed in Theaters But Is Worth Watching On Streaming
Many of WB’s movies last year exceeded box office expectations and became major hits. The studio saw seven consecutive releases earn $40+ million domestically in their opening weekend, a new record. In stark contrast, The Bride! lost money in theaters. Budgeted in the range of $80-90 million, it grossed only $23.9 million worldwide. Despite drawing from familiar source material (the film is a riff on The Bride of Frankenstein), The Bride! didn’t benefit from strong word of mouth. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 57%, indicating mixed reviews. Despite that, The Bride! is still worth adding to your HBO Max watchlist.
The Bride! isn’t going to go down in history as the best Frankenstein movie ever made, but there’s a lot to admire. Chief among those pros is Jessie Buckley’s stunning performance as the titular Bride. Always compelling to watch on screen, she is the main reason to watch the film. Buckley has a challenging part to play here, as her role is essentially dual in nature. In addition to playing Ida, the bride, Buckley also appears throughout the film as fictionalized version of Mary Shelley who appears to be possessing Ida. At various points, Ida has wild outbursts, and Buckley gamely handles all of it with the right amount of panache. She was the perfect choice to headline such an extravagant, stylized genre picture.
Speaking of style, Gyllenhaal delivered a film that is stunning to look at. The Bride! boasts impressive visuals, including immersive production design that transports audiences back to the 1930s. There’s a reason why Warner Bros. gave the film an IMAX release. While the story of The Bride! doesn’t always come together in a cohesive manner, there is a propulsive energy that runs through it, which can make it an entertaining watch at times (especially from the comfort of home). An admirable misfire that’s attempting to do something unique with its narrative can be more fascinating than a film that’s just underwhelming or bad.
It’s no surprise to see The Bride! doing well on streaming so soon after its HBO Max debut. These types of films routinely score high marks on home media. Moviegoing habits have changed so much, and it’s become easier than ever to wait to see new releases. If something gets mixed reviews, general audiences will be inclined to stay away, feeling it isn’t worth the trip to the theater. With shorter theatrical windows, new movies are available to watch from home in just a couple month’s time. People are more willing to take a chance on something when all they have to do is push “play” in the living room.
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