It can seem like there is little rhyme or reason to which films reach Netflix 's 'Top 10' list, with a motley mix of critically acclaimed films scrapping with low-quality B-movies for the top spot. According to Netflix's audience, this has never been more true than in the rise of The Interceptor to the number one spot on the streaming platform.
The action-thriller flick has been panned as "the worst" on the platform by audience critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who have given the film a tragic 19 per cent rating on the site. Or, as one reviewer said of the unexpected hit: "GALACTICALLY BAD".
Surprisingly, the film's co-writer and director Matthew Reilly told Variety that he was "just as confused as everyone else" to see his film reach the number one spot in the 'Top 10 Films' listing in countries around the world. He said: “It’s blown me away, I was hoping to sneak into the top 10 on Netflix, but coming in at number one everywhere?
“I don’t think anybody was expecting it to take the world by storm.” Laughing, he continued: “I’m just as confused as everybody else.”
The $15 million action film sees terrorists attempt to take over two nuclear defence silos in the US and Russia for nefarious ends, a plot as poor and re-heated as much of the dialogue and acting, according to critics.
One said: "I started the movie with no expectations and by the end of it, any expectations I might've had would not have been met. Horribly paced, terrible storyline, and cliche plot points.
"The action was decent but nothing special. The most entertaining moment was when Chris Hemsworth showed up. Elsa Pataky was okay, not much she could do behind this lacklustre wanna-be action thriller."
According to Netflix, its 'Top 10' weekly listings are ranked by the total number of hours viewers spent watching each title. This means that people in the UK spent more hours watching 19 per cent rated The Interceptor than 99 per cent rated Paddington 2, which was at number four.
While many fans critiqued the realism of a world where global nuclear security could be threatened by an attack on two defence sites, some were just disappointed by the quality, with one depressed critic saying: "Borderline unwatchable, dry from the outset. Action scenes feel awkward, dialogue is poorly acted and written."
Despite being aware of online criticism, film director Reilly won't let it stop him from making a sequel, saying: “If you don’t like my movie, say you don’t like my movie. I don’t mind that.
"But somewhere in recent years we got to this extreme bottom end and people who say, ‘I don’t like your movie therefore I hate you therefore you should die a painful miserable death and never make movies again.’”
Reportedly the script for The Interceptor 2 has already been written, and apparently: "Netflix likes it."
