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Michael Keaton movie that went under radar becomes Netflix's most watched movie

Home> Film & TV> Netflix

Published 15:50 15 Feb 2024 GMT

Michael Keaton movie that went under radar becomes Netflix's most watched movie

The film has seen a resurgence on the streaming platform, even climbing all the way to the top of the most-watched list

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate

Topics: News, US News, Celebrity, Film and TV

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

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A relatively unknown film by Michael Keaton is now the most popular film on Netflix - despite a poor box office and critical battering when it was released.

The movie has a pretty gnarly score of just 34 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Observer's Simran Hans calling it 'shallow and self-congratulatory, refusing to justify its incessant violence with character development or genre spectacle'.

It wasn't a huge hit at the box office at the time either.

Upon its release, it grossed around $67 million at the global box office after production costs of approximately $33 million.

But the movie is clearly doing something right, as it's shot to the top of the Netflix chart in the US.

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And many viewers are saying it feels like they saw a 'different movie' to those who slammed the action flick.

They called it 'super fast paced', a 'spy classic' and a 'breath of fresh air'.

Michael Keaton stars in the underrated movie.
YouTube / CBS Films

The film is an action flick from 2017 called American Assassin.

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Keaton takes on the role of CIA Agent Stan Hurley, who is a former US Navy SEAL turned spy.

Dylan O'Brien, of The Maze Runner, plays the lead role of CIA agent Mitch Rapp, who's out for blood after his family were killed by terrorists.

If you're a fan of action thrillers with high stakes, then American Assassin certainly ticks that particular box.

There's espionage, fights, and a ticking clock relating to a nuclear device which might just get into the wrong hands.

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Micheal Keaton in American Assassin.
YouTube / CBS Films

The movie is based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Vince Flynn about a black ops recruit.

It had been intended as a launchpad for Dylan O'Brien as an action star, but it didn't end up gaining enough momentum.

Meanwhile, Keaton comes in as a grizzled veteran heading up the black ops unit that O'Brien's character Mitch finds himself a part of.

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It's not the first time that Keaton has starred in a film which was a box office flop, but went on to greater success.

Another example is the 1998 Christmas movie Jack Frost.

It may not have been a hit at the box office, but the movie has gone on to become a festive staple.

He also starred in last year's The Flash, reprising his role as Batman after 30 years.

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That film ended up grossing $270m against an estimated $200m budget, and - if we're honest - is unlikely to become a cult classic anytime soon.

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