Jennifer Lawrence’sRed Sparrowbrought a ballerina to an action-packed thriller long beforeJohn Wick’s upcoming spinoff was on the cards, but despite arriving to a mixed reception in 2018, the film has now found a new audience onNetflix. This is not the first of Lawrence’s older movies to find huge success on streaming, asher divisive sci-fi moviePassengershas been frequenting the Top 10 of many platforms in the last several months. Now,Red Sparrowis flying up the charts, and reached a peak of 7th in Netflix’s global chart.
Despite the star power, which along with Lawrence includes Jeremy Irons, Joel Edgerton, and Joely Richardson, the film struggled to please everyone, landing itself a split score on both Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and Popcornmeter. Critics had no problem praising Lawrence’s performance in the lead role, but did not buy into the film’s “needlessly sadistic” plot and pacing. Audiences had a similar opinion, noting that “gratuitous sex and violence don’t make up for a slow plot.” Ultimately, the movie landed a 45% critics score, and 51% from audiences.
That doesn’t seem to have deterred audiences from opting to watch the movie now that it is available on Netflix. Or, perhaps, it has just encouraged them even more. Either way,Red Sparrow’s box office success six years ago, which saw the $69 million budget turn into a $151 worldwide gross, is now unexpectedly continuing with the film’s impressive performance on its new streaming home.
Directed by Francis Lawrence and adapted from Jason Matthews' 2013 novel,Red Sparrowstars Lawrence as Dominika Egorova, a former Russian ballerina coerced into becoming a seductively manipulative spy. The full synopsis of the movie reads:
“Prima ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a bleak and uncertain future after she suffers an injury that ends her career. She soon turns to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people to use their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after completing the sadistic training process. As she comes to terms with her new abilities, Dominika meets a CIA agent who tries to convince her that he is the only person she can trust.”
Why is Red Sparrow a Success Again?
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Red Sparrowalso falls squarely in that incredibly popular action thriller genre that dominates charts across all platforms constantly. While the graphic content may be unwarranted for some viewers, it is exactly the kind of thing that many more hunt out when looking for something to watch. With its place in Netflix’s Top 10,Red Sparrowcontinues the trend of older movies with lukewarm initial receptions being brought back to life by the endless appetite of worldwide audiences desperate for something they haven’t seen before.
Red Sparrow
