Russell Crowe’s Controversial $359M Epic Movie Surprisingly Re-Enters Netflix’s Top 10 Charts

Russell Crowe is an Oscar-winning actor who has starred in a bevy of fan-favorite films like Gladiator, The Nice Guys, Master and Commander, and American Gangster. While Crowe has a plethora of successes under his belt, some movies of his have fallen short of realizing their full potential — which is the case for any actor with a decades-long career. One such example is Noah, director Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic chronicling the famous story of Noah’s Ark. It grossed $359.2 million at the worldwide box office, but it generated a wide range of polarizing responses due to its content. Despite that, Noah is now enjoying a new resurgence in popularity on streaming.

For the week of February 9th-15th, Noah was the seventh-most-watched film on Netflix globally. During that time frame, it accumulated 3.6 million views and was watched for 8.3 million hours. It beat out movies like Twisters and Homefront to secure its place on the streamer’s chart. This is the sixth overall week Noah has ranked in Netflix’s top 10 in its history; a couple of years ago, Noah was a hit on Netflix in the United States, a turn of events that seemingly surprised none other than Crowe.

Why Noah Is a Streaming Hit on Netflix

It’s surprising to see Noah rise up the Netflix charts again, but there are explanations for this turn of events. Noah is the type of film that typically does well on streaming. Critics gave it mostly positive reviews back in 2014 when it premiered (75% on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences weren’t nearly as kind (41% audience score). The mixed word of mouth might have discouraged some people from checking it out in theaters, feeling the film wasn’t worth the time and cost of a trip to the theater. Now that it’s on Netflix, it’s easier for those same people to give the film a chance.

It’s been a while since Noah was in the headlines, but movie fans likely remember the discourse surrounding the picture when it was originally released. Noah generated multiple controversies, ranging from accusations of a white-washed cast to criticisms over its handling of the main narrative. Whenever a film is divisive like this, there are viewers who become more interested in watching it — if only out of morbid curiosity to see where they stand in the debates. Rather than rely on reviews and think pieces from others, there are those who’d like to form their own opinions.

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While Crowe is no longer the box office draw he once was, he remains active. He was recently seen in the historical thriller film Nuremberg, which is currently doing very well on PVOD charts (ranking eighth on Apple). After watching one Crowe film, viewers might have wanted to seek out other movies starring the actor, sending them down streaming service rabbit holes until they found Noah on Netflix. While it’s unlikely Noah is the first title that comes to mind when one thinks of Crowe’s filmography, it’s easy to understand why it’s become a draw on streaming.

In addition to the polarizing reactions, Noah is a visually stunning film that wows the audience with its epic scale and scope. Fittingly given the subject matter, Aronofsky is painting on a very large canvas, immersing viewers with ambitious and sweeping grandeur. In some ways, Noah is a throwback to some of the classical Hollywood epics of yesteryear, only presented with modern filmmaking techniques. For anyone looking to make the most of their home theater system, Noah is worth adding to the watchlist due to its incredible spectacle and set pieces.

Noah is only streaming on Netflix in international territories. It currently is not available on Netflix in the U.S. American viewers looking to watch the film can stream it on MGM+ and Paramount+, or rent/purchase it on PVOD platforms.

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