If you’re looking for something thrilling to watch on Netflix this weekend then you might want to check out the streaming service’s top 10 list as there’s a new entry charging up the charts. And it’s an adrenaline-fueled action thriller starring the late Angus Cloud.
‘Your Lucky Day’ arrived on Netflix earlier this month and is currently in the No. 5 spot in the streamer's most watched movies ranking. It’s behind the fantasy blockbuster ‘Damsel’, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ and fellow indie thriller ‘Alone’, but ranks ahead of several popular Netflix movies including 'Boss Baby’ and ‘Fear’.
The thriller is one of Angus Cloud’s final movies, as the actor tragically passed away last summer, and it's a real showcase of his talents. But ‘Your Lucky Day’ is also a fantastic movie in its own right, and worth adding to your Netflix watchlist right now.
What is ‘Your Lucky Day’ about?
‘Your Lucky Day’ is a claustrophobic thriller set within a convenience store. It follows a cast of compelling, if not especially likable, characters as they all fight tooth and nail to claim their piece of a $156 million lottery prize, and each proves that when a life-changing sum of money is on the table there’s no lines that won’t be crossed.
The flick opens with Mr. Laird (Spencer Garrett) winning an eye-watering amount of money on a lottery ticket. Instead of quietly exiting the store to cash in his immense fortune, he makes sure everybody knows about his slice of good luck. This leads to a shifty figure, Sterling (Cloud), pulling out a firearm and demanding that Laird hand over the ticket.
The ensuing standoff leads to a hostage situation, shots are fired and the cops are called with a SWAT team dispatched to the store. But the situation becomes even more dicey when the authorities decide they also want the money themselves. “Your Lucky Day” displays how a dream scenario can quickly become a living nightmare.
‘Your Lucky Day’ reviews — here’s what critics say
Your Lucky Day currently holds an 86% score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes suggesting that critics generally enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. However, its audience score is noticeably lower at just 68%, so it seems that critics liked this one a bit more than viewers.
Sheila O’Malley of RogerEbert.com called the movie “thrilling and suspenseful, with enough twists to keep you guessing” but noted that the “pointed commentary is impossible to ignore.” Meanwhile, Katie Rife of IndieWire felt it “moves along at an engaging pace” but “doesn’t reach its brutal potential as a thriller until two-thirds of the way through.”
A generally positive write-up came from Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Writer-director Daniel Brown’s crime drama is deceptively simple with a beer case’s worth of twists, most of which are unpredictable but make perfect character sense as they unfold,” said Strauss.
The Austin Chronicle’s Jenny Nulf wasn’t quite so keen, they said, “The heart is in the right place for ‘Your Lucky Day’, but the execution is a little loose.” Nevertheless, the critical consensus is positive with praise for the movie’s tight pacing and Cloud’s performance.
Should you stream ‘Your Lucky Day’ on Netflix
‘Your Lucky Day’ appears to be another excellent choice for your next Netflix movie night. It would make a brilliant double-feature alongside ‘Alone’, which is another thriller currently making a large splash on the popular streaming service.
There’s an awful lot to like about ‘Your Lucky Day’ between the strong performance from Angus Cloud, the twisting narrative that is unpredictable until the very end, and the biting social commentary. It has all the ingredients to work its way into our best Netflix movies list.
If you’re looking for even more viewing recommendations, be sure to check out our list of the best new movies to stream this week, as well as our guide to Millie Bobby Brown’s new fantasy flick which is currently the top ranked movie on Netflix.
