Guy Pearce has proven himself to be a great actor many times over, but he’s also one of those thespians who seemingly can’t stop themselves from showing up in terrible genre thrillers that barely anybody sees, or lending support in underwhelming star-driven blockbusters. In the last three years alone he’s headlined Domino, Disturbing the Peace, Zone 414, and The Seventh Day, while popping up in Michael B. Jordan’s Without Remorse, Vin Diesel’s Bloodshoot, and Liam Neeson’s Memory.
Not that there’s anything wrong with collecting a paycheck, but it would be nice if Pearce or his agents were able to find him projects more befitting of his undoubted talents. However, the critical consensus doesn’t mean a damn thing when it comes to horror making an impact on streaming, as evidenced by the aforementioned The Seventh Day currently ranking as the sixth most-watched title on HBO Max’s global charts.
As per FlixPatrol, the demonic horror has been summoned onto the Top 10 in 20 countries, casting aside the shackles of its horrendous reception. A 15 percent Rotten Tomatoes score is bad, but a 17 percent user rating from a horror fandom that’s almost always a great deal more forgiving is even worse. If it doesn’t strike a chord with the diehards, then something is seriously amiss.
Pearce’s rock star priest is partnered up with a rookie on his first day as a man of the cloth, but during a “routine” exorcism on a young boy, a demonic conspiracy reveals itself that has the potential to send reverberations around the entire church, as well as humanity itself. Neat concept, poor execution, but streaming subscribers don’t seem to mind The Seventh Day in the slightest.
Published: Aug 4, 2022 03:06 am