Michael Fassbender's Biggest Flop Suddenly Rises To Netflix's Top
A five-year-old flop has returned from obscurity to the top of Netflix's most-watched list.
The Snowman, a psychological thriller based on Jo Nesbø's 2007 novel of the same name, was released in 2017 and immediately became a commercial and critical disaster, earning just $43.1 million worldwide, barely breaking even, and earning a 6 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
But in a surprising turn of events, the film managed to climb to the top of Netflix 's most-watched list last week, more than five years after its release.
It is unclear what caused the failed movie to suddenly become relevant, as the list is usually dominated by new releases, occasionally accompanied by some acclaimed classics.
Some fans joke that now is the perfect time to start a social media campaign to pressure the creators into making a sequel.
Others say it is a perfect example of a box office flop suddenly going viral on the streaming service for seemingly no reason.
The story revolves around Norwegian detective Harry Hole, portrayed by Michael Fassbender, a struggling alcoholic who investigates a series of murders in which the killer leaves snowmen at the crime scenes.
The plot thickens, however, when the killer begins to tease Harry, turning the investigation into a game of cat and mouse.
Fans of the original novel hope that the film's failure will not prevent more of the author's work from being brought to the screen by more capable filmmakers.
The book became a bestseller for a reason, while the movie butchered the source material and turned it into an incoherent and increasingly stupid mess, they say.
It is also the seventh installment in the 13-part Harry Hole book series, so there are plenty of great stories to draw inspiration from.
Despite his recent career decline, Michael Fassbender is set to star in Next Goal Wins, an upcoming sports comedy-drama film from Taika Waititi.
Fans of the actor are hoping that this will finally put an end to his bad luck, as even in the generally unfavorable films, his acting talents have been among the few things to be praised.