Having received a negative response upon its 2014 release, it’s perhaps surprising that Seventh Son is now finding an audience on Netflix. The Sergei Bodrov-directed picture is currently number 7 in the rankings on the streamer’s most-watched films list, an impressive feat considering the amount of competition that it faces. Like many other titles that have received a second shot on the platform, though, Seventh Son is now inviting a reappraisal of sorts of its merits.
Based, albeit loosely, on Joseph Delaney’s novel The Spook’s Apprentice, Seventh Son stars Ben Barnes as Thomas Ward, who as the seventh son of a seventh son, is drawn into a fantasy adventure. Jeff Bridges co-headlines as Master Gregory, otherwise known as a “Spook,” a witch hunter who takes Tom under his wing. The likes of Julianne Moore, Kit Harington and Alicia Vikander, meanwhile, fill out an impressive cast for the fantasy adventure.
Boasting a $95 million budget, Seventh Son was notable for being, like Warcraft, one of the investments of the China Film Group. However, a complicated production history saw Universal step in to distribute the movie after Warner Bros. pulled out, and it ended up being a commercial disaster in the US. The production did eventually manage to recoup its budget internationally, but critics were not kind to the fantasy epic.
The high positioning for the film may not be exactly due to taste though and instead could be a result of timing, as one of the worst movies ever made is also doing well on the service this week. In this context, it’s currently hard to judge whether Seventh Son has really improved with age, or will soon be lost in the streaming company’s extensive back catalog once more new releases hit the platform.
What do you think of Seventh Son, though? Is it underrated, or is this one to be avoided for Netflix viewers? As ever, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
