The humble crime caper has quietly proven to be one of cinema’s most irresistible genres, especially when there’s a star-studded cast and an intriguing concept in play. 2020’s Kajillionaire definitely ticks those boxes, but it went down substantially better with critics than it did the general public.
On Rotten Tomatoes, writer and director Miranda July’s offbeat dramatic comedy holds a Certified Fresh score of 90 percent, painting the picture of a worthwhile journey to take. On the other hand, the user rating is sagging way behind at a decidedly unimpressive 47 percent, although you do have to get on the same wavelength as Kajillionaire to get the most out of it.
Casting its opinion-splitting nature to one side, though, the bizarre and entirely singular look at a twisted family dynamic has evolved into a monstrous streaming success, having taken up residence on no less than three rival platforms. Per FlixPatrol, Kajillionaire has been welcomed onto the Netflix global rankings, staked out a spot on the iTunes charts, and is even one of the 10 top-viewed titles on ad-supported Freevee in the United States.
That’s a heck of a return to prominence for one of the countless films to be sent out into the pandemic-era wilderness without a hope of succeeding, especially one that’s proven to be so polarizing.
Evan Rachel Wood stars as the emotionally-stunted 26 year-old daughter of two lifetime con artists, and delivers another knockout turn in a career quietly full of them. Having spent her entire life weaponizing her as part of their schemes, things get turned upside down when Gina Rodriguez’s stranger gets in on the clan’s act, ultimately having a seismic impact on their lives for better or worse.
Published: Jan 4, 2023 04:12 am