Forgotten Liam Neeson's $2M Western Flop Blows Up Netflix's Top 10

Summary

• Liam Neeson is a legendary actor, but not all of his films get rave reviews.
• Nevertheless, some of his failed projects are being resurrected on Netflix.
• As such, a half-forgotten Western starring Neeson and Pierce Brosnan has become one of the Top 10 most-watched movies on the service in the US.

Liam Neeson's career spans nearly 50 years, and during that time his prolific track record has been filled with roles in high-profile films that are considered iconic. Unfortunately, not every project with Neeson has been well received, sending such films into the abyss of oblivion. However, in the age of streaming services, when even the most forgotten movie is rediscovered, Netflix subscribers are very happy to watch almost any movie with Liam Neeson in the service's library.

One of the most recent was a 2006 Western starring Liam Neeson opposite Pierce Brosnan. The movie received polarized reviews upon its release, though none of them reached opposite extremes: whether the reviews were positive or not, each was fairly mild in its sentiments. But that didn't stop fans of the Northern Irish actor from enjoying this semi-obscure film, which effectively lifted it to the top of the most viewed among American users. Let's get to the bottom of what this movie is all about, and whether it's worth a shot on Netflix's wave of popularity.

Mixed Reviews and Box Office Failure

We're talking about the 2006 film Seraphim Falls, the directorial debut of David Von Ancken. It is a revisionist Western, being more of a psychological thriller set three years after the Civil War. The plot centers on the confrontation between two arch-rivals: former Union officer Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) and Confederate Colonel Carver (Liam Neeson). The latter, compared by the actor himself to Captain Ahab from Moby-Dick, is an example of a manic character who is fully committed to revenge.

Despite an $18 million budget, the movie flopped at the box office, earning only $1,220,058 worldwide. The reason for this was its limited release and the fact that it was overshadowed by other releases such as Epic Movie and The Messengers.

Netflix Has Made the Failed Western Popular

Despite being a commercial failure and receiving mixed reviews, the film has been rediscovered by Netflix subscribers in 2024. Apparently, it's time for Liam Neeson to look for ways to collaborate with the streaming service, as this isn't the first movie starring him to find success on the platform (the previous ones were 2008's Taken and 2020's Made in Italy; the latter, by the way, can also be considered half-forgotten, but at the same time rediscovered by Netflix subscribers).

The data provided by the service shows that Seraphim Falls entered the Top 10 most-watched movies in the US for the week of February 5-11, coming in at number nine. What's more, while Netflix hasn't released its tracking numbers yet, it looks like viewership only increased from the previous week.

According to What's on Netflix, The Revisionist Western made its way to the top on Friday, February 9, jumped to number five the next day, and stayed at number four from February 11-13. In the following days, it began to lose ground, but was still in the top 10: on February 18, it was at number nine.

Is the Movie Worth a Watch?

Although its current Rotten Tomatoes rating is only 56%, some critics noted at the time of its release that the film had a decent script and cinematography. While the film is undoubtedly full of violence, do not expect a passable fast-paced action movie: it is a meditative parable that delves into issues of moral ambiguity and does not hide its anti-war tone.

Of particular note is the technical component of the film, as the cinematography was handled by John Toll, known for his work on Braveheart, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai, Cloud Atlas, Iron Man 3, and other high-profile films.