The Unforgivable
It’s rare to see a movie sit on top of Netflix’s Top 10 list for very long, given the one-and-done nature of them, but most movies don’t star Sandra Bullock, either. That is certainly what explains the success of The Unforgivable, the Netflix original film starring Bullock, which has sat on top of the Top 10 list for about a week now, though today has lost its spot to an unsurprisingly powerful newcomer.
Top 10
That would be The Witcher season 2, and you could see this coming from a mile away. The Witcher is one of Netflix’s most popular series. It was its fastest watched series ever two years ago when it debuted, though it has since been surpassed in total viewership hours by Bridgerton, Money Heist and Squid Game. But season 2 was always going to be a powerhouse, and as is the case with some of Netflix’s most popular shows, the second season may indeed outpace the first.
The Witcher season 2 is reviewing well, and with only eight episodes, fans will no doubt binge it over the course of this weekend. But as a series, I would be amazed if it did not stay on top of the list for at least a week, if not potentially two or three, as releases slow down somewhat over the holidays, and this is something that fans have been waiting not just one, but two years for, given COVID delays.
As for The Unforgivable, there’s not much to say there other than Netflix has once again found the magic formula of “Sandra Bullock doing anything” as a way of attracting viewers. The movie has a wide split between low critic reviews and high audience scores, similar to Red Notice. My own opinion lies somewhere in the middle, as I do think she gave a great, unusual performance, compared to what we normally see from her.
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It should of course also be noted that Bullock stars in Netflix’s second biggest movie ever, Bird Box, which again, was not especially amazing, but interest in Bullock led to mass viewership. She’s the kind of actress that anyone of any demographic is going to want to sit down and watch, and her last two Netflix movies are pretty clear proof of that. While The Unforgivable 2 does not sound like it’s in the cards, Bird Box 2 is supposed to be coming someday. Though Bullock may star in a different Netflix movie before then, who knows. Clearly, whatever they’re paying her for these, it’s working out well for all parties.
As for The Witcher, I will be curious to see how long it can stay on top, and whether it does in fact grow its audience from season 1. Season 2 is a lot easier to follow without a bunch of hugely disparate timelines to get lost in, plus Geralt talks a lot more this time around. It’s great so far, and I’m about to finish it up today.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
