The last time Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba appeared in the same comic book movie, Avengers: Infinity War made over $2 billion at the box office, but the trio were at very different stages of their careers when The Losers was released in 2010. None of them had even made their Marvel Cinematic Universe debuts yet, and were far from the household names that they are today, with the film bombing hard after bringing in less than $30 million globally.
Reviews were mixed, with The Losers holding a decidedly average Rotten Tomatoes score of 49%, which seems a little harsh. Admittedly, it’s not the greatest technical achievement in the history of cinema by any means, but as perfectly enjoyable mindless entertainment, it certainly does the trick, with a breezy story flying by in just over 90 minutes.
Throw an ensemble cast of rising stars and established character actors into a world of double crosses and espionage set in a heightened reality, pad out the running time with some well-executed set pieces and more than a few witty barbs being exchanged back and forth, and all of the ingredients are there for an ideal slice of late night or weekend entertainment.
Netflix subscribers clearly agree, and The Losers has once again been troubling the streaming service’s Top 10 most-watched list, having previously charted in November. As you may have noticed by now, the platform’s 200 million customers are more than fond of B-tier action thrillers, as there’s always at least one hovering in or around the Top 10, and it looks as though this particular underrated box office flop might end up creeping further up the rankings over the next few days as more and more people check it out.
Published: Feb 5, 2021 11:48 am