An Underrated Idris Elba Movie Is Crushing On Streaming

An Idris Elba movie is currently crushing on streaming in the United States. It was underrated at the time, but still definitely plays.

By Jacqueline Lindenberg | Updated

idris elba

Idris Elba has paved his way for a very fulfilling and busy career in the film and television industry. Whatever role Elba takes, his performance is extraordinary and he gives it his all. One of his roles that clearly showcases his talent as an actor is from the 2013 movie Pacific Rim. Although the film was released almost ten years ago, Pacific Rim is currently dominating one of the biggest streaming sites, HBO. The film is currently ranked #4 in the United States on the streaming site. The movie is well-directed, with a unique plot and a talented cast, so it makes perfect sense that the film is being heavily streamed. 

Pacific Rim was released in theaters back in 2013. The film itself received good critical reviews and was a popular film to see in movie theaters upon its initial release. Pacific Rim had a great cast, starring Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi, and Charlie Hunnam. Besides an amazing cast that helped bring the story to life on the big screen, what exactly makes this movie so impeccable, and why is it still so underrated? Well, aliens and futuristic technology sure helps.

The premise of the movie is that alien monsters not from space, but from the Pacific Ocean, come out and start to attack Earth. Those would be the Kaiju. In an attempt to stop the alien monsters and save the human race, humans create Jaegers which are like giant robots which are controlled by two co-pilots. Their minds and memories are joined by a mental link. The overall plot of the film is very creative. But the level of creativity didn’t stop there. From the production to the actual monsters themselves, this film is the epitome of a piece of art. 

To this day, the movie isn’t talked about too much, but there are still a large number of people that re-watch Pacific Rim. Idris Elba played the role of Marshal Stacker Pentecost. He is tasked to help run the show in regards to guiding the pilots of the robots so they can possibly defeat the alien sea monsters. According to Metro, Idris Elba discussed his character and how he was able to express the role of Pentecost on the big screen. “…he’s very calm, very calculated. So, there are plenty of layers for me to work with.” Elba has taken on a good number of roles that had prepared him for his character in Pacific Rim. The actor has given outstanding performances in films such as the Fast & Furious franchise, and also the hit television series, Luther. 

Pacific Rim was directed by Guillermo del Toro, who has been a part of other fantastic projects. Del Toro also directed films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Crimson Peak. His films always have a unique touch or spin to them, whether it’s the characters or the production of the movie itself. If Del Toro’s name is attached to the film, audiences are in store for something incredibly artistic and entertaining.

Pacific Rim is known to be underrated, and even with its out-of-the-box CGI for its time, the film didn’t win any awards in that spectrum. However, fans find themselves re-watching the first film every year for its visual effects and strong acting performances from cast members, such as Idris Elba and Charlie Day. There was a sequel to the first film, but the main criticism is that the CGI didn’t match up to the first film’s level of production. 

Upon its release, the film was highly watched in theaters, not just in the United States, but in other parts of the world. The film garnered a total of $411 million in the box office worldwide. It had a rather high budget, most likely due to the time spent creating the incredible visual effects and action sequences. Pacific Rim cost almost $200 million to make. When first released, the film received very good reviews. And after all the hard work to create the sci-fi film, it must be rewarding to gain millions of fans over the film. Idris Elba discussed the production of the film and the difficulty to film the robot action scenes in an interview with Reuters. “It was just very tough to have to be put in the big massive simulator all day long…it was really, really tough,” Elba stated. 

Even to this day, all the hard work paid off, especially since Pacific Rim is one of the top movies being streamed on HBO currently. On IMDB, the movie has a rating of 6.9, and on Rotten Tomatoes, the rating has an audience score of 77%. To watch Idris Elba’s performance in the unique film before it disappears from the streaming site, jump to HBO and sit tight to watch an incredible, visual film.