As much as the Wachowskis should be lauded for their ambition, the fact that Speed Racer, Jupiter Ascending, and The Matrix Resurrections all bombed hints that maybe the siblings won’t be entrusted with any more big budget, especially when things panned out exactly the same when they teamed up with Tom Twyker for Cloud Atlas.
Carrying a budget estimated to be within touching distance of $150 million – which made it one of the most expensive independent productions in history – the literary adaptation could only rustle up $130 million in ticket sales. That being said, it has left behind a legacy as perhaps the single most opinion-splitting fantasy epic of the modern age.
Some people – including star Tom Hanks – absolutely adore Cloud Atlas for its visual splendor and determination to reach for the stars on a thematic, narrative, and contextual level, while others absolutely hate it for being overlong, overblown, and ponderous to a fault. The good news is that we know exactly where ViaPlay subscribers fall, after FlixPatrol outed the divisive dud as one of the streaming service’s top-viewed movies.
It’s certainly a test of will at a butt-numbing 172 minutes, and there’s been more than a few viewers who haven’t even tried to make it to the end, but the people who love Cloud Atlas really love Cloud Atlas with a burning passion. It’s not exactly the sort of thing you kick back and relax to after a strenuous day, but if you’re willing to give a chance when you’ve got three hours to spare, then maybe you’ll end up falling for it, too.
