Studios must be looking on enviously at Netflix’s ability to turn even the most forgotten of historical epics into resurgent success stories, with subscribers regularly proving themselves unable to resist an action-packed battlefield tale no matter how it fared critically or commercially, with Free State of Jones the latest to wage war on the most-watched charts.
Per FlixPatrol, The Hunger Games director Gary Ross’ $50 million Civil War story that barely even recouped half of those costs at the box office while being greeted largely with a shrug of indifference from critics and audiences has mounted a direct assault on the global rankings, after debuting as one of the streaming service’s top-viewed features following its addition to the library.
Matthew McConaughey headlines as Newton Knight, a farmer who serves as medic for the Confederate Army despite his opposition to slavery. When his nephew is killed in battle, he returns home to care for his family, only to be branded as a deserter and an outlaw. Taking refuge with runaway slaves and forming friendships, alliances, and a romantic connection along the way, he ends up leading a rebellion against his former paymasters that ends up having a huge impact on history.
On paper, Free State of Jones possessed all of the ingredients required to thrive thanks to an inspiring narrative embedded in truth, sprawling action sequences, an emotionally-stirring undercurrent, and a big-name star in the lead. Instead, it conspired to disappoint on almost every level, but that’s precisely why streaming has proven to be such fertile ground for little-watched wartime spectaculars.
