This Hidden Angelina Jolie Gem Is HBO Max’s Hottest Film

Despite having an Academy Award and three Golden Globes under her belt, Angelina Jolie often doesn’t get the credit she deserves for her acting abilities. A lot of that has to do with the fact she’s been a bona fide A-list movie star for the last two decades, and she’s found her biggest box office successes in the action genre while never straying too far from the tabloid headlines.

Jolie spent the better part of ten years shying away from tackling onscreen roles. Her only live-action appearances between the release of The Tourist in December 2010 and the debut of Warner Bros.’ Those Who Wish Me Dead in May of this year came in her two outings as Disney’s Maleficent, romantic drama By the Sea that she also wrote, produced and directed, and the fantasy thriller Come Away.

The 46 year-old was focused on her career behind the camera for a while, but she’s slowly seguing back into the performing side of the business, with a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Eternals landing in November. Unfortunately, Those Who Wish Me Dead bombed hard when it premiered simultaneously on the big screen and HBO Max, even by the standards of the pandemic era.

The action-driven drama couldn’t even crack $25 million globally despite Jolie’s worldwide fame and popularity, which is a shame because it’s a hugely effective little thriller that doesn’t possess a single ounce of fat on its narrative or thematic bones. It may have died a death in cinemas, but Those Who Wish Me Dead has rebounded in a big way, and can now be found as the number one film on HBO Max, FlixPatrol reports.

The film currently tops HBO Max worldwide for the hottest film on the streaming service, claiming the first place spot across South America. The film is similarly trending on Apple iTunes in the U.K. The flick’s August popularity remains unclear, but its strong audience reception on Rotten Tomatoes may explain why.