Netflix’s Red Notice has dismal reviews, but this upcoming Chris Hemsworth movie can redeem the streaming service’s track record on action films.
An upcoming Chris Hemsworth Netflix action movie can possibly help redeem the platform’s badly-reviewed Red Notice in time for its sequels. Red Notice follows FBI Special Agent John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) cracking down on an art theft case for bejeweled eggs formerly owned by Cleopatra. The thieves in question are Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) and his competition, Sarah “The Bishop” Black (Gal Gadot). The three eventually convene to find the third egg while Interpol is on their tail. It was very well-received by viewers, with the Rotten Tomatoes audience score as of writing being 92%. However, critics panned Red Notice, with Roger Ebert giving it 1 1/2 stars and Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic setting the movie for critics at 36% and 37%, respectively.
Despite its poor critical reception, at least Red Notice sets its sequel up well and provides the franchise with a modicum of promise. With a $200 million budget, Red Notice was Netflix’s most expensive action movie produced. It’s understandable, then, that Netflix would want to capitalize on its investment with sequels, regardless of low critical ratings. However, Red Notice supports the notion that Netflix has low standards for producing action films, capitalizing on big-name actors and high production budgets in lieu of quality moviemaking. Even if Red Notice 2 is an improvement from the first film, it likely won’t be the movie to prove this notion wrong.
Instead, Netflix’s upcoming Spiderhead might help Netflix’s reputation. Based on the 2010 New Yorker short story “Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders, Spiderhead is expected to release on Netflix in summer 2022. Chris Hemsworth stars in the project along with Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollet (Birds of Prey, Lovecraft Country). What makes Spiderhead particularly redeeming for Netflix is the fact that its A-list cast will be used to support an already enticing premise, instead of merely being a crutch to attract viewers to an otherwise mediocre story. Spiderhead is set in a dystopian society that allows prison inmates to shorten their sentences by participating in experiments for mind-altering drugs at a special facility overseen by Chris Hemsworth’s character, Steve Abnesti. At this facility, a bond forms between two prisoners named Jeff and Rachel, played by Teller and Smollet, respectively.
Spiderhead’s premise goes beyond being formulaic and safe, which Red Notice can’t exactly claim. From Netflix’s poor marketing strategy to the increasing number of streaming services, there are multiple factors contributing to its dramatic drop in subscribers. Netflix gets occasional rises in viewership, with shows like Bridgerton, Russian Doll, and Stranger Things finally being able to release content in 2022 after the pandemic complicated their production. Still, especially after Apple TV+’s major Oscar wins for CODA, Netflix’s original movies need to reach an increased standard of uniqueness and quality in order to stay competitive as a streaming platform.
If Spiderhead is received well, this could help both Netflix and the Red Notice sequels. For one, Spiderhead could raise Netflix’s benchmark for mediocre content, which could then be carried to the Red Notice franchise. Ryan Reynold’s Netflix movies do well largely because of his marketing appeal, even for critical flops like Red Notice. However, upcoming Red Notice sequels will hopefully not be expected to rest too much on star power if Spiderhead carries any influence. Spiderhead could also lessen any ire going towards the Red Notice franchise’s way, proving to viewers and critics that Netflix’s A-list action movies can actually be well-made. Currently, Red Notice is seen as Netflix’s definitive celebrity action film. Of all Netflix originals, it has the highest-caliber cast and biggest production value. If Spiderhead can take its place and actually do well both for critics and audiences, then some pressure over Red Notice’s sequels may be relinquished. Spiderhead alone won’t save Netflix’s all-star action movie reputation, but it can certainly help redeem it from Red Notice’s critical performance.
Source: screenrant.com
