Chris Hemsworth Action Thriller Flop Finds New Audience On Netflix
Most times when a film flops at the box office, it winds up being obscured from history, or relegated to the bargain DVD section of Walmart for the remainder of its days. Still, there are exceptions to this rule, such as 2015’s Blackhat, which seems to be thriving now that it’s available to stream on Netflix. The film, which stars Marvel’s Chris Hemsworth in the leading role, was panned by critics and shunned by audiences upon release, making it an interesting case study for postmortem success on streaming.
Hemsworth Hacking As Hathaway
As stated, Blackhat stars Chris Hemsworth in the role of expert computer hacker and criminal mastermind Nicholas Hathaway. The film centers around Hathaway as he is recruited to assist in a multinational investigation of hackers who have shut down multiple systems from across the world, including radioactive plants, government computer systems, and other engineering frameworks. When FBI Special Agent Carol Barrett first calls for Hathaway to come aboard, the hacker is being held in prison for cracking global bank servers, though he manages to demand a fully commuted sentence for his cooperation in the case.
Chris Hemsworth Acting Against Type
As the narrative of Blackhat continues building to a climactic finish, Hathaway comes to learn that his hacking skills may not be up to snuff, as he marvels at the incredible work of his fiendish contemporaries. By the time the 2 hour and 13 minute adventure comes to a close, the story travels all over the world and even into outer space, as the black hat cyber criminals utilize technology to break into orbiting NASA satellites. Chris Hemsworth really does his best to embody the character of a computer hacker in this film, but unfortunately his Thor-like physique and inherent charm make it difficult to buy him in the role.
Critically Panned Upon Release
Casting wasn’t the only issue with Blackhat either, as critics were particularly harsh on the film’s writing and overall plot. I don’t personally know the first thing about computer hacking, but even I had trouble believing that Chris Hemsworth or the writers had ever coded in HTML before. Today, Blackhat maintains a paltry 33 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an even more damning 24 percent general audience score to match.
Cast And Crew
Blackhat was written by Morgan Davis Foehl in his screenwriting debut, and directed by legendary crime genre filmmaker Michael Mann. Mann previously helmed such classic movies as Heat, Ali, Miami Vice, and most recently, 2023’s Ferrari. Chris Hemsworth is joined in the cast by a wide array of talented performers, including Tang Wei, Holt McCallany, John Ortiz, Leehom Wang, and The Suicide Squad‘s Viola Davis.
Streaming Blackhat On Netflix
GFR SCORE
I’m not sure what specifically drew me towards Blackhat, as I remember thinking very little of it when it first premiered. Still, when I saw that the Chris Hemsworth flop was making waves on Netflix I decided to return to it with fresh eyes and an open mind. Truthfully, it’s not a terrible movie, and functions as a straightforward crime thriller if you imagine that the characters live in an alternate universe where computers are made entirely of witchcraft and wizardry.
If you’re interested in checking out Blackhat today, you can stream the Chris Hemsworth film on Netflix.
