Denzel Washington Thriller With 47% Rotten Tomatoes Score Becomes A Streaming Hit 14 Years Later

Denzel Washington is having a huge career year, which is deserved after his decades of work in the industry. Ridley Scott's historical epic Gladiator II, in which Washington played Macrinus, became the highest-grossing movie in the actor's career. He was nominated for both a Critics Choice Award and a Golden Globe award for his work in the film, and is expected to get an Oscar nomination next month. Washington's work has oft been recognized by awards as such, as he has won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, for Glory and Training Day, respectively.

That said, not all of Washington's work has been met with such overwhelming praise. Though he has had some notably critically acclaimed work, the actor's Rotten Tomatoes scores have also struggled at points. This is evidenced by movies such as Heart Condition, John Q, and The Bone Collector, all of which had Rotten Tomatoes scores of less than 30%. One of Washington's films with mixed reviews has now taken a turn for the better, however, as it has become a streaming hit.

The Book Of Eli Is Succeeding On Streaming

The Book Of Eli Had Mixed Reviews

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The Book of Eli has become a streaming success. The 2010 film action epic thriller stars Washington as a drifter in post-apocalyptic America who travels through the destitute countryside protecting a book that holds the key to saving humanity. In addition to Washington, The Book of Eli features a leading cast including Michael Gambon, Tom Waits, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman, and Ray Stevenson. It received mixed reviews, scoring a 47% Tomatometer. At the box office, The Book of Eli made $157.1 million on an estimated $80 million budget.

As per Collider, The Book of Eli has now become a hit on Max. The film has climbed to no. 5 on Max's streaming charts. This puts The Book of Eli next to popular films from more recent years, such as the Alex Garland thriller Civil War.

Our Take On The Book Of Eli's Steaming Success

Civil War May Have Helped The Movie

There are several reasons that The Book of Eli may be seeing a renaissance in popularity 14 years later. For one, it has the star power allure of Washington, who has been getting even more attention this year because of Gladiator II. The continued success of Civil War on the platform may have also helped The Book of Eli, as the 2010 film may have been recommended to viewers as another post-apocalyptic romp to check out. The Book of Eli may have been propped up on streaming both algorithmically and as a result of the involvement of its major star.

Source: Collider