It’s been a busy year for Netflix, full of television shows, movies, and layoffs. But chances are that you might have forgotten about the movie that managed to top the 2022 Netflix charts. No, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery has not managed to break records after less than a week, instead it was July’s hit The Gray Man.
You will be forgiven if you managed to forget the film, which was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of the last two films in the Avengers franchise. Based on a novel written by Mark Greaney, The Gray Man starred Ryan Gosling as Courtland Gentry, also known as Six in the Sierra program of the CIA. His life falls apart when he is sent to kill one of his own, another member of the Sierra program, and he uncovers a corruption plot from inside the CIA.
The Gray Man is a globetrotting spy adventure, akin to James Bond, or the Jason Bourne franchise. In addition to Gosling, the film also stars a mustached Chris Evans as the main villain, Lloyd Hansen, Ana de Armas as Dani Miranda, Jessica Henwick as Suzanne Brewer, Regé-Jean Page as Carmichael, and Billy Bob Thornton as Fitzroy. Interestingly enough, another famous Ryan managed to take the second spot in the top 10 most popular Netflix movies of 2022. The second most popular film was The Adam Project, starring Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo.
The Gray Man did have a limited theatrical release before it was released on Netflix a week later, so it managed to take in just under $500,000 at the box office. Of course, that number does not really matter when you consider that it managed to top the Netflix charts, with original programming being a major draw for subscribers, new and returning.
Even though critics did not love The Gray Man, with it sitting at 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seemed to have enjoyed themselves with an audience rating of 90%. The film was obviously successful enough for the streamer that they have greenlit a sequel with Gosling poised to return, as well as a spin-off. Joe and Anthony Russo will be returning to direct the sequel, while not much is known about the spin-off.
Of course, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was only just released on Netflix and it is currently certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a stellar audience score. So, there might be a chance for it to get an early start on the most popular Netflix movie of 2023.Â
You can watch The Gray Man on Netflix, although going by the statistics most of you probably already have.
