Dark R-Rated Crime Drama On Hulu Is A Controversial Must-See Classic
Fight Club is an action-filled psychological thriller starring two of the biggest stars of 1999—Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Norton narrates and plays an unnamed insomniac office worker whose life seemingly has lost most of its purpose. Pitt plays Tyler Durdin, who makes soap and generally doesn’t like to follow the same rules that have seemingly placed Norton’s nameless character in a permanent funk that he can’t shake.
You Do Not Talk About Fight Club
Norton’s character and Durdin have a chance meeting that evolves into the two of them forming an underground fight club in which anyone can fight anyone willing to square off late at night.
It’s a chance for people feeling the frustrations of their daily lives to blow off some steam. It also is a chance to give society five knuckles to the face and maybe a kick to the groin for good measure.
Fight Club has eight rules, and the first two are that members aren’t supposed to talk about it. The rules clearly get broken because more people keep showing up.
Eventually, it becomes a significant ritual in the lives of many participants. It also helps Norton’s nameless character realize at the end that he and Durdin have far more in common than initially meets the eye.
A Surprising Hit
Director David Fincher and screenwriter Jim Uhls adapted the 1999 film from a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk. Fight Club premiered during the 56th Venice International Film Festival and first played in U.S. theaters on October 15, 1999.
Studio executives at 20th Century Fox generally didn’t like the film and handicapped its chances at the box office by scaling back its marketing campaign.
The film generated a respectable $100.85 million in global ticket sales despite only having 1,966 theaters during its widest release. That’s about half the number theater screens that most successful films grace during their widest releases.
Still, the R-rated film debuted at number one at the box office and held the first of second spot in domestic ticket sales nearly until the end of October.
The Cast
The film features a recognizable supporting cast that includes Helena Bonham Carter as Durdin’s attractive but seemingly penniless girlfriend. Other notable supporting cast members include Jared Leto, Meat Loaf, and Holt McCallany long before he was the The Iron Claw patriarch.
The film’s brutal fights, dark lighting, and general opposition from studio executives created a level of controversy that ironically helped promote the movie.
A Critical Darling
Eventually, Fight Club reached the level of cult film status and is highly revered by many who saw it and was a popular movie rental. It’s subsequent airings on cable television and availability at movie rentals helped cements the film’s status as a cult favorite.
It earned a highly respectable 8.8/10 rating on IMDb and an 86 percent approval rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. More impressively, Rotten Tomato audiences give it a 96 percent favorable rating.
Stream It Now
The film didn’t initially knock it out of the park in ticket sales. Its life in the world of premium cable and now on streaming platforms has ensured it’s here to stay. You can stream Fight Club on Hulu now and learn what all the fuss is about, but you never, ever can talk about it without breaking rule number one.
