The Liam Neeson Rotten Flop Finding Huge Netflix Audience
The resurgence of old titles and their rise to the top 10 charts years after their release never ceases to amaze, as it points towards the fact that every tale has its time. 1990’s Pretty Woman was met with mixed criticism and became one of the highest-grossing and most recognized romcoms ever, and 1999’s Fight Club was a massive flop that initially didn’t fare well, but it gained a cult following in the decade since its release. Liam Neeson’s Made in Italy now joins the group of more successful flops, as it finally found its audience on Netflix.
Made In Italy Is Rotten But Popular
Made in Italy was made in 2020 as a comedy-drama starring Liam Neeson as Robert Foster and Micheal Richardson as Robert’s son, Jack. The narrative follows the son-father duo as they must restore and sell a villa after Robert’s wife dies in a car crash.
The movie is certified as Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, and its audience score isn’t any better, but that didn’t stop it from racing to second place on Netflix’s Top 10 chart in less than two days. It’s safe to assume that Made in Italy’s recent success on Netflix can be attributed to Liam Neeson’s name recognition.
Low Stakes Family Drama
The story follows an estranged father-son duo (Liam Neeson is Micheal Richardson’s dad in real life) as they’re trying to fix an old house in Italy owned by Robert’s wife to sell it. Of course, the house is completely run down, and they hire the locals for assistance, which only adds a layer of humor to the movie, mainly based on the language barriers between them. The house goes on sale, the sale falls through, and the father and son, who had worked on their relationship, fight again, only to patch things up by the end.
Liam Neeson Does His Best With The Story
Made in Italy marks Liam Neeson’s departure from his typical action-packed roles since the success of Taken, providing him with a cinematic platform to showcase his very particular set of skills, skills he had acquired over a very long career. Despite his past success, and award-winning talent, Nesseon couldn’t save the movie from its disappointingly slight story,
No One Watched This Movie Before Netflix
A very weak box office performance followed the horrible critical reception. Though the budget for the movie isn’t officially disclosed, the film earned a mere $2.9 million at the box office. This isn’t as surprising, considering that Liam Neeson’s Made in Italy received a limited theatrical run in the US, followed by a subsequent release on video on demand—which doesn’t count towards the box office performance.
A Massive Netflix Hit
Yet, despite its initial reception, Made in Italy found a considerable audience on Netflix, which is a good gateway for content to reach wider audiences who might’ve missed the film’s release—particularly if the release was limited. Those interested in watching Liam Neeson’s Made in Italy can stream the movie via Netflix.
