Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s 2018 Flop Is Quietly Becoming A Cult Classic On Netflix

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has been one of Hollywood’s top leading men since he made the transition from professional wrestling to acting. He’s been involved in some huge franchises from the Fast & Furious and Jumanji to Moana, which have grossed incredible sums at the worldwide box office. However, on the flip side, Johnson has also been involved in some box office bombs and critically flopped movies.

While very few actors go through their entire career without experiencing one failure or another, Johnson has faced a few difficulties in recent times. However, while the likes of Black Adam have been universally panned, one of Johnson’s weaker movies has found a new lease of life on Netflix.

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s 2018 Movie Rampage Wasn’t Well Received

It Did Surprisingly Well At The Box Office Internationally

Rampage was one of Dwayne Johnson’s major projects that he heavily promoted within the last decade, mainly because he was the leading star, alongside a few CGI monsters, which presented a significant test of his ability to fill that role. However, it came at a time when Johnson was taking on several similar action roles that tended to blend into one, and have often led to people claiming he doesn’t have much range. With comparisons to other monster movies, Rampage didn’t go on to gain the critical acclaim as an action movie that Johnson had likely hoped for. While nobody was expecting it to be Oscar-worthy, fans and critics wanted to see a little more from this video-game adaptation. Given that genre is dominating the world of movies and television nowadays, it’s clear that Rampage could have been so much more. The film has a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was generally panned for its poor tone and dragging on too long.

Despite the mixed reviews, Rampage did go on to gross $428 million worldwide at the box office, proving that Johnson is very much a draw due to it having a budget of $120 million. Although a further $140 million was spent on marketing, which negatively impacted the total profit, as reported at the time, Rampage was expected to break even two years after its release. The majority of the box office takings came from international markets, with Rampage grossing $327 million outside of the United States and Canada, which likely saved it from being a total disaster.

Rampage Has Found Its Audience On Netflix

Dwayne Johnson’s Movie Is In The Top 10 Most Streamed

Even though Rampage isn’t a movie that has been talked about extensively, it has ended up finding a nice home on Netflix. Despite all the competition available on the streaming service, Rampage is currently in the top 10 most-streamed movies on the platform, taking the eighth spot, according to FlixPatrol. That’s an impressive situation for a movie that came out in 2018 and wasn’t beloved upon its release. However, it goes to show that the work put in by the team on that movie has held up, with the action being gripping enough to command people’s attention. It’s an unexpected hit on Netflix, and the more that it pops up on people’s recommended watch lists and in the top 10, the higher the film could end up climbing if it manages to lure people in. It’s a testament to Johnson’s staying power as a lead star, regardless of how many box office disasters he’s had since, as the charismatic actor still has a connection with the public

Netflix Viewers Are More Willing To Give Films A Chance

Rampage Has The Chance To Become A Cult Classic

One of the reasons Rampage is performing so well on Netflix is that audiences are more willing to give films a chance when they’re available on a streaming platform. Not only does the film have many fans who would already want to watch it, but people who might’ve been curious about it at the time will now watch it, knowing that it’s not a wasted investment if they don’t like it. If it doesn’t capture their attention, it can easily be turned off, which isn’t the case if someone makes a trip to the cinema, as the expense ramps up. Given that it features a major star who is globally recognized, such as Johnson as the lead actor, and other talented co-stars like Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Naomie Harris, there are many things going in this film’s favor. It’s the type of crazy adventure that people will happily sit down to enjoy during a weekend, as a monster movie like this always can be entertaining. Seeing a huge ape causing chaos is something best associated with King Kong, one of Rampage’s major issues. However, when not comparing the two, the silverback gorilla in this movie is just as exciting to watch.

While Rampage isn’t the first film that fans of Johnson tend to think about when discussing his career, there’s a good chance it can now go on to have a second life via streaming. In the past, certain movies would become cult classics due to DVD sales, but nowadays it’s streaming websites that help to take films into that category. While it might not have been expected, it appears that for many people, Rampage is going to be one of those movies, and that’s something Netflix has made possible.

Rampage

Release Date

April 13, 2018

Runtime

1h 47m