Fans are eagerly awaiting the premiere of Gladiator 2, the 2024 new movie from legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott that picks up years after the events of his Best Picture-winning original Gladiator. Part of that excitement is the new additions to the cast of the Roman Empire-set epic, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington. That anticipation could be helping to lift another Washington and Scott movie in the Netflix rankings: American Gangster.
On Monday, September 23, the same day that a new Gladiator 2 trailer hit the internet, American Gangster is in the top 10 most popular movies on Netflix in the US; the movie is also streaming on Netflix in the UK. American Gangster is officially sixth on the list, only trailing brand-new 2024 movies in The Garfield Movie, Uglies, Rebel Ridge, His Three Daughters and Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter. American Gangster premiered on Netflix on September 16.
In case you need an introduction, American Gangster is a 2007 movie inspired by the true story of Frank Lucas, who was a powerful drug lord in Harlem in the 1970s. Washington plays Lucas alongside Russell Crowe (another Gladiator connection) as the outcast New York cop who strives to take him down. The movie also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Ted Levine, John Hawkes, RZA, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Ortiz, Armand Assante, Yul Vazquez, Carla Gugino, Joe Morton, Idris Elba and Ruby Dee.
American Gangster is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an 81% positive score from critics. It has an even better rating from audiences, with 89% enjoying the movie. The crime drama also earned some awards love, including two Oscar nominations, one of which was for Ruby Dee as Best Supporting Actress as Frank's mother.
Washington has a long history with the Scott family. In addition to working with Ridley Scott on American Gangster and the upcoming Gladiator 2, Washington starred in four movies with Ridley's brother Tony Scott — Man on Fire, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable.
To watch American Gangster on Netflix, you must have a subscription to the streaming platform, though it is also available via digital on-demand platforms. Gladiator 2 premieres exclusively in movie theaters on November 22.
You can watch the trailer for American Gangster directly below:
