Ask DC fans what their least favorite superhero movie is, and they’re bound to mention Green Lantern. The Ryan Reynolds flick has a pitiful 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and director Martin Campbell deeply regrets ever working on the film. Nonetheless, Netflix viewers in the U.S. can’t get enough of Warner Bros.’ ill-fated superhero outing. In the States, Green Lantern has taken the second place spot on Netflix’s top 10 list since last Thursday.
According to FlixPatrol, Green Lantern trails behind the slightly cheesy rom-com Afterlife of the Party, which remains Netflix’s hottest movie worldwide. The Reynolds-fronted superhero flick remains the fifth most popular offering across film and TV in the U.S., where it dominates over Manifest, He’s All That, and popular Netflix Kids show CoComelon.
Originally released in 2011, Green Lantern casts Reynolds as Hal Jordan, the first human Green Lantern Corps member. After initially resisting the call to become the Green Lantern, Jordan must race against the clock to protect Earth from Parallax, a powerful otherworldly being banished many years ago. Despite the seemingly lively presence, the film was received poorly with fans and critics alike. As one reviewer put it: “The more I think about it the more I dislike it.”
Nonetheless, Green Lantern seems to be a hit on Netflix. Perhaps 10 years and a Netflix price tag makes the film a worthy watch over the long weekend. Just don’t expect it to convince Campbell to do a DCEU movie any time soon.
