Netflix fans have been left confused after a “flop” thriller has become the streamer’s most-watched film. Netflix has thousands of films available for viewers at the touch of a button, with countless critically acclaimed blockbusters and award-winning flicks to choose from.
But a film that was widely panned and has gained a six percent score on Rotten Tomatoes has risen to the top of the streaming giant’s most-watched films in the US. From Swedish director Tomas Alfredson – who also helmed the BAFTA-winning espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – The Snowman is based on Jo Nesbø’s novel of the same name, and stars Michael Fassbender as detective Harry Hole.
The film follows Fassbender’s detective as he investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman. The psychological thriller was a commercial and critical flop when it was released in 2017, grossing just $6.7m (£5.4m) in the US against a budget of $35m (£28m).
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It fared better outside the US but was overwhelmingly despised by both audiences and critics. Upon its release, Empire wrote that watching it “feels like a trudge through deep snow,” while the Los Angeles Times called it a “bungled slopsicle of a movie.”
But in a bizarre turn of events, the film has found a new lease of life after Netflix added it to its platform, leaving viewers shocked and confused. Taking to Twitter, @bendreyfuss said: “The snowman is the perfect piece of s**t box office flop to go viral on Netflix after it failed in theaters.”
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@dyspocito said: “Can’t believe Netflix is advertising The Snowman like it’s a good thing to have on their service.”
@leilanilunaa01 added: “The Snowman is one of the worst movies I have ever seen on Netflix .”
@Julianwrites added: “6% on RT is quite an accomplishment.”
“The Snowman is the #1 movie on Netflix right now, which is truly shocking,” @AndyHerren added. “I will never forget seeing it in the theater and thinking I passed out or something because it made no sense by the end.”
It comes as other Netflix fans were left unable to sleep after watching “anxiety inducing” new thriller I See You. The 2019 film starring Helen Hunt follows a small-town family whose home is haunted by a malicious presence and has fans gripped by its many twists and turns.
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