Well over 30 years on from his breakout roles in the 1980s, Tom Cruise is still a major draw for audiences. Over the past 10 years, for example, he’s starred in countless hits. That said, sometimes even Cruise’s star wattage isn’t enough to lift a film on its own and he’s been in a few productions that have flown under the radar somewhat, too. But, thanks to Netflix, two of his more underrated flicks are finding new life.
Two lesser-known Cruise movies are currently dominating the streaming service this Wednesday. As per the latest stats from Flix Patrol, the Mission: Impossible actor has two entries in the top 20 most-watched titles on the platform the world over today. Namely, 2016’s action-thriller sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is in 20th place while 2010’s action-comedy Knight and Day is in 16th.
Never Go Back is a follow-up to 2012’s Jack Reacher, with Cruise once again playing the hero from Lee Childs’ best-selling novel series. In this one, Reacher has to uncover a major government conspiracy and clear his name after he becomes a fugitive from the law. This sequel failed to much of an impact at the box office and received mixed reviews, causing Paramount to cancel plans for a third film. The last we heard, Amazon was working on a reboot TV series.
Knight and Day, meanwhile, co-stars Cameron Diaz as a woman who meets Cruise’s charming stranger on a plane and ends up dragged into a high-octane, globe-trotting adventure as Cruise’s rogue CIA agent attempts to stop a corrupt colleague from selling a lucrative new energy source. James Mangold’s film did well at the time, earning $262 million globally, but it’s hardly remembered these days.
Neither Jack Reacher: Never Go Back or Knight and Day are available on Netflix in the US, but they can be rent or bought from Amazon Prime, Vudu, and other platforms.
Published: Oct 6, 2021 02:16 pm