Matt Damon box office bomb with only 47% on RT becomes Netflix smash hit
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Despite his string of hit roles in everything from Good Will Hunting and The Bourne Identity to, most recently, Oppenheimer, not everything Matt Damon stars in is as successful. However, one of his biggest bombs is finding a new life after becoming a smash hit on Netflix.
Released in 2017, Downsizing wasn't well received. It has just 47% on Rotten Tomatoes and was a box office bomb after its $55 million earnings failed to match its budget. However,in the UK, it was added to Netflix on Thursday, May 22, and it's been steadily climbing Netflix's rankings and gaining viewers. At the time of writing two weeks later, it's the streamer's most-watched movie.
Living in the US? Downsizing is free via Hoopla and Kanopy but is only available to buy or rent digitally beyond those options.
Downsizing is part romance, part comedy and part sci-fi story. It's set in a world in which humans invent 'downsizing', a process by which people are irreversibly shrunk to about five inches, which makes them more space efficient thereby solving overpopulation and the climate crisis.
Damon plays Paul, who decides to go through the process with his wife Aubrey (Kristin Wiig)... until she pulls out at the last minute and leaves him. Stuck in his small form, and seeing his life fall apart, Paul goes on a voyage through the small 'Leisureland' in order to find himself and redefine his life.
Critics of 2017 criticized Downsizing for being a bit muddled in its focus, though it's worth pointing out that certain reviewers really loved it. As someone who watched the movie in cinemas back then, it's safe to say that the movie was mis-marketed in a way that hurt it: posters and adverts made it look like a standard American comedy, but it's anything but.
In a way, Downsizing is an exploration of the climate crisis and humanity's longevity, dealing with themes of class struggles and impending extinction events. It can get dark and melancholy at times, which isn't what audiences would really expect from a Matt Damon rom-com.
That's likely why Downsizing was received so poorly eight years ago. It's not a bad film, but if you're expecting a lighthearted comedy, you're going to be disappointed.
The movie was directed by Alexander Payne, also known for The Descendants and The Holdovers, and if you've seen those fantastic movies, you'll have your expectations better aligned for Downsizing.
Downsizing climbing up Netflix's rankings makes sense: people have probably forgotten any expectations created by marketing 8 years ago, the streamer's thumbnails make it seem more of a sci-fi story than a comedy, and its genre tags are "cerebral" and "imaginative" which better fits the movie.
The movie isn't actually the only pre-Covid Hollywood flop on the top-10 movies list and if you want something more action-packed, the Taron Edgerton and Jamie Foxx Robin Hood from 2018 is at #4 after being added on Sunday, June 1.
Rounding out the list is Netflix Original A Widow's Game at #2, Channel 4 doc Accused: The Hampstead Paedophile Hoax at #3, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning at #5, stalwart The Super Mario Bros. Movie at #6, another Netflix movie The Heart Knows at #7, The Cat in the Hat at #8, Netflix doc A Deadly American Marriage at #9 and yet another kids movie Minions at #10.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix's newest No. 1 movie is an animated action-comedy with a wild premise — and it's 94% on Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix subscribers are hooked on the streaming service's latest original release, and it's got a pretty wild premise. The movie in question is "KPop Demon Hunters," a new animated action-comedy musical from Sony Pictures Animation. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the movie revolves around an all-female K-Pop trio who dominate the music scene while secretly protecting humanity from evil demons. It's certainly a left-field pitch compared to the average Netflix movie, and I'll admit to initially writing it off, but make no mistake: "KPop Demon Hunters" is an absolute blast. I'm not the only fan either: within days of its Netflix release on June 20, viewers have sent "KPop Demon Hunters" straight to the top of the streamer's top 10 movies list in the US. It also comes highly recommended, too; at the time of writing. It's sitting at a 94% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. If that's piqued your interest, and now you're considering whether to stream "KPop Demon Hunters" on Netflix, here's a little bit more info about the new Netflix movie, and a quick round-up of what people have said about it already. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The clue's in the title here. Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" revolves around a KPop band called "Huntrix." Huntrix is comprised of three superstars — Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) — and the band already has legions of adoring fans. The duo deals with the demands of being popstars while secretly also being the latest generation of demon hunters, ready to use their voices and combat prowess to fight back against the ever-present threat from those evil supernatural forces. Tasked with creating the barrier that holds the demons back, the girls face a new threat in the form of "The Saja Boys," an irresistible rival boyband of demons in disguise. The "KPop Demon Hunters" voice cast also features Ahn Hyo-seop, Yunjin Kim, Joel Kim Booster, Liza Koshy, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Byung Hun Lee. Whether you're a die-hard KPop stan or not, "KPop Demon Hunters" comes highly recommended. Over on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, it's sitting at a 94% critics score and an equally impressive 93% score on the Popcornmeter, indicating, essentially, that viewers like what they've seen. Need specific opinions? Well, IGN's Toussaint Egan called the movie "a stunning animated action musical to tide you over until "Beyond the Spider-Verse"," adding: "It isn't just a worthy, frequently hilarious follow-up to SPA's Oscar-nominated masterpiece. It's a relentless celebration of both the music that inspired it and the medium of animation itself." Similarly, Collider's Jeff Ewing labelled "KPop Demon Hunters" an "unmissable" watch and "a charming fantasy-action with catchy tunes, leaning into its absurdity for a fine animated tale." Like I mentioned above, I initially put "KPop Demon Hunters" firmly in the "not for me" category. However, having seen it shoot straight to the top of the Netflix charts, I relented and checked it out... and was so glad I did. When I clocked it was a Sony Pictures Animation project, I knew I was in for a good time, after both the "Spider-Verse" flicks and 2021's "The Mitchells vs the Machines," and this is another success for the studio. "KPop Demon Hunters" is unironically a killer combo of dynamic, fluid animation with plenty of personality, a great sense of humor, a simple but engaging story, solid action, and some seriously catchy tunes. Take it from me: this is absolutely worth a watch. Not sold on Netflix's new release and still in need of more streaming recommendations? We can help. Check out our guide to the best family movies on Netflix or our overall roundup of the best Netflix movies for tons more suggestions perfect for your next movie night.
Buzz Feed
2 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Grenfell Uncovered Reviews: Netflix Documentary Hailed As 'Urgent' And 'Heartwrenching'
ASSOCIATED PRESS A new documentary exploring the Grenfell Tower disaster is being lauded by critics. In June 2017, a fire broke out at the tower block in North Kensington, London, killing at least 72 people. Eight years later, questions are still being asked about the tragedy – which are explored further in Netflix's new documentary Grenfell Uncovered. An official Netflix synopsis for the doc reads: 'This feature length documentary examines the disturbing chain of events that led to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. 'By uncovering actions taken by business and government years before the tragedy, the film shines a light on how it could have been prevented, and 72 lives could have been saved. The documentary gives a platform to survivors, bereaved families and firefighters to share their story.' The documentary has already been praised as 'agonising', 'rage-inducing' and 'heartwrenching' by critics in their early reviews. Here's a selection of what has been said about it so far… The Guardian (5/5) 'The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London which caused 72 deaths is now the subject of Olaide Sadiq's heartwrenching and enraging documentary, digging at the causes and movingly interviewing survivors and their families, whose testimony is all but unbearable. At the very least, the film will remind you that when politicians smugly announce they wish to make a bonfire of regulations, they should be taken, under police escort if necessary, and made to stand at the foot of the tower.' The Telegraph (5/5) 'Vital journalism [...] the documentary's trump card is its editing. That sounds very boring, but for the viewer it means a linear narrative, starting from the first 999 call, that then spread its tentacles down timelines of personal stories and historic corporate malfeasance. The dexterous splicing means that in spite of all this context, the film retains an agonising momentum.' The Standard (4/5) 'This litany of failures is rage-inducing [...] the information is technically already out there, but it's never really been condensed into something this concise and easily understandable before – certainly not on a massive streaming channel like Netflix, which will put it in front of millions of viewers.' The Independent (4/5) '[Netflix has] plenty of schlocky miniseries about serial killers, but when it comes to institutional failings and social affairs, they are more sensitive [...] this dynamic – the film is more interested in apportioning blame than it is in memorialising the victims – makes it feel raw, angry and urgent.' Financial Times (4/5) 'The film is upsetting and harrowing throughout, but it is driven by a clear sense of a need for justice, and an acknowledgment of the lack of justice to date. Though Mr Bates vs The Post Office was a drama, and this is a documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered may well have a similar effect on the public's understanding of what happened in 2017.'
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hollywood is in bad shape. You wouldn't know it from CEO pay
Warner Bros. Discovery is in poor shape — so much so that Chief Executive David Zaslav has decided to unwind the 2022 merger he orchestrated by splitting the company in two. But Zaslav himself is doing just fine, to the chagrin of shareholders. In a rare searing rebuke, investors recently cast a symbolic vote disapproving of Zaslav's 2024 compensation package, which rose 4% to $51.9 million compared with the year before. The package, approved by the company's board of directors, ensured that Zaslav remained one of the nation's highest-paid corporate leaders. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, known as ISS, described the company's executive compensation packages as 'an unmitigated pay-for-performance misalignment.' The situation renewed scrutiny of the compensation levels for leaders of the top entertainment companies, which remain high compared with peers in other industries. Although 2024 was a bad year for Hollywood, it was a very good year for some of the industry's top executives, according to a survey of data by Equilar, which studies executive pay, for The Times. The median compensation for those executives for 2024 was $33.9 million, up 7% from 2023, Equilar said. That's about double the median compensation of CEOs at S&P 500 companies, which was $17.1 million last year. The compensation data include stock options, base salaries, bonuses and other perks for CEOs from Netflix, Fox Corp., Roku, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., AMC Networks, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery and the Walt Disney Co. Paramount was excluded from the median data because of a change from one CEO to three in April 2024. 'The compensation packages remain somewhat out of whack based on the good old days where the margins were substantially higher,' said Evan Shapiro, a former NBCUniversal executive who now runs his own company. 'The Hollywood era got used to very specific — some would argue irrational — pay packages and never readjusted itself when the business went haywire.' Pay packages increased for Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, reflecting the streaming giant's strong performance. The value of Sarandos' pay package went up 24% to $61.9 million, while Peters' went up 50% to $60.3 million. Other executives whose compensation increased included Bob Bakish, who was ousted as CEO of Paramount in April 2024. He had a package worth $86.96 million in 2024 (which included his roughly $69 million severance), up 178% from $31.3 million a year earlier. Disney chief Bob Iger, who spent 2024 mounting a turnaround for the Burbank-based company, earned $41.1 million, up 30% from the previous year. During the year, Disney had renewed strength at the box office and achieved streaming profitability after years of losses. Fox Corp.'s CEO Lachlan Murdoch's total pay rose 9% to $23.8 million, while Roku CEO Anthony Wood got a bump of 37% to $27.7 million. Others got a pay cut. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' 2024 compensation declined 5% to $33.9 million, primarily due to a lower cash bonus. AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan had a 40% drop to $8.7 million last year related to a $6.8-million equity award she received in 2023 tied to her promotion to CEO. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer earned $18.2 million in the company's fiscal 2024 year, down 15% compared with $21.5 million from fiscal 2023. For 2024, the highest-paid chief executives among publicly traded media and entertainment companies compiled by Equilar for The Times were Bakish, Zaslav, Sarandos, Peters and Iger. Most of the companies declined to comment or referred The Times to proxy statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fox Corp. did not return a request for comment. The increase in pay reflects a broader trend at publicly traded companies. Compensation is increasing as companies try to align pay with performance by handing out large stock awards, said Amit Batish, senior director of content for Equilar. Certain awards such as stock options typically benefit executives only if the stock goes up. Some executives are also adding security perks after the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year, he said. Several Hollywood executives had pay packages last year that were worth substantially more than the median, Equilar said. With so much change and disruption happening in the entertainment business and plenty of competition for skilled leadership, companies believe they need to pay up to hold on to executive talent. 'Especially in the entertainment industry that's constantly evolving, with streaming services taking over, there's constant fluctuations in the market, so companies are looking to find ways to keep their executives on board and motivated,' Batish said. Sky-high executive compensation has resurfaced debate about a subject that has been simmering since even before the 2023 strikes led by writers and actors — the widening pay gap between executives and workers. Many entertainment workers have left Southern California due to the lack of work, as more productions are moving out of the area due to increased costs. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal and Paramount have continued to lay off employees. Some entertainment workers struggling to find jobs have adopted the saying 'Persist to '26,' replacing last year's 'Survive 'til '25.' 'Any survey of executive pay, generally there's a disconnect between what people see in their own checking accounts and when they see what executives, particularly for top Fortune 500 companies, earned,' said David Smith, a professor of economics at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. 'There's often discontent with the chasm between the rank and file and CEOs.' Zaslav became a symbol of that ire in 2021 when his compensation package was valued at $246.6 million, which included stock options tied to the merger. The value of his 2024 compensation was much lower at $51.9 million, but still higher than other executives such as Disney's Iger. Following the nonbinding shareholder 'say on pay' vote, Warner Bros. Discovery pledged to address shareholder concerns. Those changes are expected to lower Zaslav's future payouts. Similarly, Disney and Netflix in recent years have been hit with negative shareholder votes on the pay, leading to adjustments. Zaslav's target annual cash bonus opportunity will shrink from $22 million to $6 million after splitting Warner Bros. Discovery in two, separating studios and streaming services from linear cable networks, the company said. Zaslav's base salary would remain $3 million. 'We structured the new compensation packages to address shareholders' feedback by fostering pay-for-performance alignment,' Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr. said in a statement. While Warner Bros. Discovery worked on retiring $4.4 billion in debt through cost-cutting and launched its streaming service Max (which is being rebranded back to HBO Max) in 70 markets last year, the company also had some fumbles, including losing the NBA on its TV networks. 'It appears the board may have been out-negotiated,' said Lloyd Greif, chief executive of Los Angeles investment bank Greif & Co. 'They created incentives that did not directly translate into a higher stock price, or higher revenue and EBITDA growth' — referring to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. 'So,' he added, 'you have to look at the results and say, the board blew the call.' The company's compensation committee said it took into account Zaslav's performance across different goals including revenue, cash flow, enhancing the motion picture slate, cost controls, launching Max globally and securing talent. Warner Bros. Discovery's revenue in 2024 fell 5% to $39.3 billion, compared with 2023. Adjusted earnings excluding certain items fell 11% during that same time period. The stock price declined about 7% in 2024. 'It just sends a very bad message to your teams,' said Paul Verna, vice president of content at research firm Emarketer, adding that leaders should inspire their teams amid challenges facing the industry. 'It's very hard to do that when you're firing thousands of people but not really absorbing any pain yourself in your own compensation.' The committee saw the loss of the NBA U.S. TV rights as a positive, saying it resulted in a 'more efficient long-term relationship with the league,' according to the company's proxy filing. When the compensation committee evaluated those figures, it took out costs related to a joint venture called Venu Sports that was meant to launch in 2024 but was scrapped, as well as new sports rights programming and packages. That irked some groups, including ISS, though some executive compensation experts said it is not uncommon for companies to factor out some costs deemed to be out of the executive's control. The reverberations of the shareholder vote continue. It could cause the board to put pressure on the compensation committee to improve its performance or activist shareholders to target the company for a proxy contest, Lawrence Cunningham, director of the University of Delaware's Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, wrote in an email to The Times. 'Shareholder votes on pay, even when non-binding, send a signal that can be important,' Cunningham wrote. 'A 60% no vote is huge.'
