Mid budget, thought-provoking high concept dramas geared towards older audiences are a risky box office proposition at the best of times, never mind in the midst of the pandemic, but it still came as a surprise when Hugh Jackman‘s recent release Reminiscence scored an unwanted place in the history books.
The feature length directorial debut of Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy could only reach ninth place during its first weekend in theaters at the end of August, earning just $2 million. That made it the biggest commercial flop of Jackman’s career, and the worst three-day opening for any film playing on over 3000 screens.
That had to sting for the leading man, in what was only his second major theatrical release since The Greatest Showman arrived in December 2017, especially when he’s as reliable as ever in the lead role as an army veteran in post-apocalyptic Miami who runs a business allowing people to relive memories of their choosing.
Almost inevitably, a mysterious femme fatale shows up on the scene, upending his entire existence and drawing him into a vast conspiracy that touches every corner of the city. A sci-fi mystery noir action thriller sounds great, and while Reminiscence is far from a terrible movie, it’s not a particularly great one, either. Jackman remains incredibly popular, though, which goes some way to explaining why the historic dud is currently the most-watched movie on HBO Max, as per FlixPatrol.
