Netflix has The Gray Man at the top of its streaming queue.
When Netflix decided to invest $200 million into The Gray Man, its newest blockbuster original movie, it seemed like a bet that paid off.
Netflix’s most-watched list is dominated by the big-budget movie, which was released last Friday (July 22). The Gray Man has been number one for the last few days and is unlikely to be displaced from the top spot for some time. The Gray Man, on the other hand, has been met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike.
What’s the deal with The Gray Man?
The Gray Man, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is an adaptation of Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name, which won the Academy Award for Best Novel.
Actor Ryan Gosling stars in this action-packed thriller, which has him portraying the CIA’s most talented spy who is only known by his codename, Sierra Six. A seemingly regular Bangkok assignment goes awry and Six discovers damaging information about the agency he works for.
Due to Sierra Six’s doubts about Denny Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page), a former colleague, placing a bounty on his head, employs sociopathic assassin Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) to catch Six and ensure the terrible secrets he has found remain buried.
Six evades capture as Hansen pursues him around the world. An Ana de Armas CIA operative who is sympathetic to Six and willing to help him is also featured in the film.
What are the opinions of the reviewers on The Gray Man?
Netflix members tend to be interested in The Gray Man, while critics appear to be less enthusiastic. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received a dismal 49% rating, but the film’s audience rating is a whopping 90%. This suggests that the film’s critics and audience are on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Prior to its debut, Netflix emphasized the film’s potential as a franchise, but David Sims of The Atlantic argues that this concern with sequels actually harms the film. This movie “exists solely for sequels, lavish location shooting, and to appear glamorous and thrilling; every tougher edge has been polished down to nothing,” stated Sims.
“Everything feels so programmatically uninteresting,” wrote RogerEbert.com’s Brain Tallerico(opens in new tab). Popcorn entertainment at its finest, yet it often forgets to be entertaining. New Tab – ‘Digital Trends’ “A literal tag cloud of terms converted into a lump of generic subscription bait.” That’s what A.A. Dowd had to say about the film, calling it “charmless.”
However, The Gray Man was not universally panned by critics. According to Time Out’s Olly Richard, it’s a “Fast & Furious movie, just with better screenplay and greater performers delivering it,” which is a contrast that’s sure to appeal to a wide audience. It also received a four-star review from Empire writer John Nugent, who described the picture as “a pacy, ruggedly entertaining caper” with “a punchy pair of lead performances from Gosling and Evans.”
To watch or not to watch The Gray Man?
According to the reviews, The Gray Man was a disappointment, yet it seemed to be a hit with Netflix users.
With two bankable stars and a slew of big-budget action sequences, this summer blockbuster shows just how well its substantial budget was spent. As long as you don’t mind a two-hour movie that doesn’t have a lot of depth or originality, The Gray Man is a good choice.
Netflix is already promoting The Gray Man as a franchise, similar to Extraction, which also stars an Avenger and had assistance from the Russo brothers. A sequel will be confirmed sooner rather than later in light of its rapid rise to the top of the streaming service’s most-watched list. At this point, the sequel to The Gray Man seems almost inevitable.
Netflix’s original movies have had a rough go of it in recent months, with failures including Senior Year and The Man from Toronto. However, Netflix members appear to have a positive opinion of The Gray Man. The streamer’s large investment in this endeavor will finally be justified by that.