Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein debuted at No. 1 on the streaming charts and has continued to be one of the most popular films on Netflix ever since, but a decades-old movie has already overtaken it, at least in the U.S. Nostalgia has always been a winner with streaming audiences, and so it comes as little surprise that a beloved ‘90s kids’ movie is drawing plenty of attention on the streaming platform. The film hit Netflix on November 13th, just a week after Frankenstein’s streaming debut, and it quickly jumped onto the Netflix streaming charts, surpassing the Jacob Elordi-led horror film in just a matter of days.
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That movie is The Sandlot, the 1993 coming-of-age sports comedy about the adventures of a ragtag group of young baseball players during the summer of 1962. The 89% Rotten Tomatoes audience-rated movie has been a streaming success ever since it joined Netflix earlier this month and managed to overtake Frankenstein on the streaming charts in the U.S. by November 19th, when it took the No. 6 spot as Frankenstein sat at 7, according to FlixPatrol. The movie currently ranks at No. 9, while Frankenstein ranks No. 10 in the U.S.
The Sandlot Is a Perfect Coming-Of-Age Movie
Decades after its release, The Sandlot has established itself as a definitive coming-of-age film. The movie largely centers around Scott “Scotty” Smalls, the new-to-town kid who is lonely until he finds a sense of belonging with the neighborhood kids. What happens next is a journey of self-discovery that authentically captures the bonds of friendship and the magic and mayhem of childhood as the group overcome their fears as they attempt to impress girls and retrieve a baseball signed by Babe Ruth that has flown beyond the outfield fence, where the legendary “man-eating” dog Beast lives.
The Sandlot was released amid the golden age of baseball comedies, a period that saw other beloved titles like Field of Dreams and A League of Their Own, but the movie was more focused on the journey rather than the sport. Baseball is just a backdrop for the pure magic of childhood summers and the joy of being outside with friends from dawn until dusk so perfectly depicted in the film. In The Sandlot, there is no climactic final game or major villains, the film instead relying on the characters’ imaginations to drive the plot and their sense of wonder to transform the mundane into legendary adventures.
The Sandlot presents a romanticized view of childhood that still appeals to audiences of all ages, helping it become a timeless classic. Given its nostalgic appeal, it’s not really surprising that it’s performing so well on Netflix, though exact viewership data hasn’t been shared.
What’s New on Netflix?
There are plenty of new streaming options on Netflix this November, and Frankenstein and The Sandlot are just two of them. The wave of new arrivals on November 1st brought everything from the soon-to-depart Back to the Future trilogy to Paddington 2, with titles like Labyrinth, The Emoji Movie, and Zodiac arriving in the weeks that followed.
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Image courtesy of Monolith Productions, Nightdive Studios, Warner Bros. Games, and Atari
