In the grand scheme of things, the Western is nowhere near as popular as it once was, but when a fast-rising filmmaker gathers a positively stacked ensemble and drops them into a gritty and violent revenge tale that plays exclusively on the world’s biggest streaming service, critical acclaim and bumper viewing figures are a virtual guarantee.
Co-written and directed by Jeymes Samuel, The Harder They Fall lists Jay-Z and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment on the producorial side of the team, while the cast features Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Damon Wayans Jr., Edi Gathegi and more.
An 87% Rotten Tomatoes score and a lengthy residency on the Netflix Top 10 most-watched list followed, and there’s even a smattering of awards buzz swirling around the movie. The Harder They Fall hit Netflix on October 22, with the latest set of Nielsen ratings revealing just how popular it was between November 1 and 7.
The old school oater was the only film or television title on any platform to rack up over a billion minutes in total, and it was the sole feature to land in the overall Top 10, with the rest of the rankings comprised of episodic titles. The Harder They Fall is comfortably one of Netflix’s best 2021 originals, and it’s fully deserving of the success.
