Netflix Losing R-Rated Sci-Fi Action Thriller With Marvel Icon, Stream Before It’s Gone
Scarlett Johansson made her MCU debut in Iron Man 2 as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and would continue to play the role for over a decade. But in the middle of her MCU career, Johansson took on a different kind of super-powered action role in the 2014 Lucy, where she played a woman who gains psychokinetic powers. If you want to check Lucy on streaming before it leaves Netflix, you have until July 31.
Superhuman Drug Mule
Lucy on Netflix follows a woman who is tricked by her boyfriend into being a drug mule, leading to her being surgically implanted with a powerful chemical that ends up giving her superhuman abilities. This allows her to escape, but she must evade her captors and seek the help of a neurologist who may be able to save her. Luc Besson directed and wrote the script, while Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, and Amr Waked starred.
The 10 Percent Of The Brain Myth
The film continues the trend set by 2011’s Limitless about the “ten percent of the brain” myth, essentially stating that Johansson’s character gets her powers because a drug allows her to access more than ten percent of her brain. Of course, while both of these movies use this fictional trope, it doesn’t mean they aren’t entertaining. Lucy can be nonsensical at times, but it’s a fun sci-fi action film with cool visuals and a solid performance from Johansson, so it’s worth checking out on Netflix.
Potential Spin-Off
Lucy was a big success at the box office and has also been popular on streaming services like Netflix, so it’s a bit surprising that it didn’t get a sequel. Even Limitless got a TV spin-off of its own. However, perhaps that will change sometime in the future, as a TV spin-off was announced to be in development in 2022, but there hasn’t been much word about it since then.
High Concept Sci-Fi
Perhaps the hesitation is due to how split some of the reviews were. While the overall reaction to the film was positive, there were quite a few people who didn’t care for it at all. If you’re a fan of high-concept sci-fi that isn’t too concerned with actual science or logic like me, then Lucy is a dumb, fun movie that’s worth the Netflix watch.
But if you’re someone who is against the “turning your brain off’ mode of watching movies, then Lucy might not be the right movie for you to check out on Netflix. Sure, it’s a bit silly, but sometimes a silly and entertaining movie is what we need in life. If you want a more high-minded Scarlett Johansson sci-fi film, I’d recommend checking out something like Under the Skin and Her, but Lucy is just here for a good-time watch.
Streaming On Netflix Until The End Of The Month
REVIEW SCORE
Luc Besson himself summed up how he thought people might feel about Lucy, saying some people might say, “’What the f**k is this film?’ But some others will embrace it.” You can decide what side of the aisle you’re on by checking out Lucy on Netflix. But make sure you do it sooner rather than later because it’s leaving the platform after July 31.
