In a surprising turn of events, it’s evident that critics’ opinions don’t always dictate streaming success, as demonstrated by Netflix’s recent sensation, The Old Guard 2. This superhero sequel, graced by the presence of Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman, was the most-watched movie on Netflix in the United States from June 30 to July 6. Moreover, it held the top spot in a staggering 74 other countries as well.
Even though the movie received low ratings from critics with only 22% and 36% scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it demonstrates that audiences aren’t always influenced by unfavorable criticisms.
For the week of July 7-14, Netflix has yet to reveal its official Top 10 movies list, but according to FlixPatrol, a third-party streaming ranker, the global favorite on Netflix as of July 13 was the German-speaking sci-fi mystery-thriller Brick.
In America, the movie “Brick” was ranked third on a list of the top ten films, following closely behind Tyler Perry’s latest release “Madea’s Destination Wedding” and the popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” which has maintained its position in the top ten for three consecutive weeks.
The movie titled “Brick” has managed to rank among the Top 10 in over ninety countries, achieving the top spot in Germany, France, and Mexico. It also climbed into the Top 5 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Remarkably, this widespread popularity persists even as critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given it a 31% rating (based on 16 reviews) and Netflix users have rated it at 29% (from more than 50 verified ratings).
As a seasoned movie critic, I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of “The Old Guard 2,” which graced our screens on July 2, 2025. This captivating sequel was masterfully directed by Victoria Mahoney and penned by the brilliant minds of Greg Rucka and Sarah L. Walker, who also drew inspiration from Rucka’s acclaimed comic book series.
In this thrilling continuation, we rejoin the exceptional cast led by Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngô, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who all return to their iconic roles. The film also introduces two exciting new additions to the cast: Henry Golding and Uma Thurman, both of whom bring fresh energy and intrigue to the storyline.
Six months following the events of the initial movie, the narrative resumes with Andy orchestrating a mission for Joe, Nicky, Copley, and himself to procure weapons from a fortified storage in Split. Simultaneously, Nile experiences peculiar dreams involving a woman surreptitiously taking books from a library and disabling an individual in the process.
In Rotten Tomatoes, merely 22% of 88 reviewers found The Old Guard 2 favorable. The general consensus is that the film is weighed down by dull exposition and uninspiring presentation, leading to a stale experience for its franchise. Metacritic assigned it a score of 44 out of 100, based on 22 reviews, indicating mixed or average feedback.
It’s possible that even if critics pan a movie, Netflix viewers may still propel it to great success, as shown by the discrepancy between streaming ratings and critical reviews on platforms like FlixPatrol, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Superman’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Blasts Past Expectations—Shocks Even the Harshest Critics
- 15 Best Sherlock Holmes Actors, Ranked from Worst to Best
- Superman’s Record-Breaking $21M+ Thursday Box Office: Highest of 2025
- Justin Bieber Teases New Album ‘SWAG’ with Tracklist Reveal
- KPop Demon Hunters’ Fictional Group Saja Boys Beats BTS record, ARMY is not happy
- Ultraman Live Stage Show: Kaiju Battles and LED Effects Coming to America This Fall
- KPop Demon Hunters: Is Your Idol by Saja Boys Inspired by Real K-Pop Bands? Here’s What We Know
- Tokyo Game Show 2025 exhibitors announced
- ‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Draws Mixed Reviews Despite Strong Performances and Visuals
2025-07-14 12:45