Heart of Stone is Netflix’s most popular movie of the week – but it’s not all good news
I spy a Netflix movie problem
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Heart of Stone, Netflix’s latest action-thriller movie, has been crowned the streamer’s new number-one movie – but it’s not all good news for the streaming giant.
As revealed in the latest weekly update toNetflix’s Top 10 movies chart, the Gal Gadot-starring film was seen by 33.1 million people during its debut weekend. That equates to 69.6 million hours viewed in its first three days on the platform – a figure that makesHeart of Stonethe most-streamed movie on Netflix in two months. The last film to reach those heights was the Chris Hemsworth-frontedExtraction 2, which pulled in 42.8 million viewers (88.4 million hours) when it launched on June 16.
Heart of Stone’s success, then, will be seen as a boon forNetflix’s film department and data analysts. BeforeHeart of Stone’s release, only two films – Netflix OriginalThe Out-Lawsand licensed movieHidden Strike– have broken the 20 million views barrier sinceExtraction 2debuted on the service.
With no other Netflix movie accruing more than eight million views duringHeart of Stone’s first three days on the world’sbest streaming service(Hidden Strikewas closest at 7.7 million), the arrival of the Gadot-led spy film acted as a timely fillip for the streamer’s movie back catalog.
A victory that’s not worth celebrating
Netflix has plenty to celebrate in the wake ofHeart of Stone’s relative success, then, right? Not exactly.
For starters,Heart of Stonehasn’t been well received by either critics or general audiences. Less than a week after release, the film holds a 30% rotten critical rating on review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. True, its 58% audience score makes for somewhat better reading, but it’s still a very average rating for a big-budget action flick.
Gadot’s latest blockbuster pales in comparison to many of its Netflix Original movie peers in the ‘hours viewed’ stakes, too. Its 69.6 million total is almost 35 million hours shy ofAll Quiet on the Western Front, the hard-hitting 2022 war movie that became the streamer’s last first-party film to surpass the 100 million hours viewed mark.
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From a genre perspective,Heart of Stoneis light years away from matching similar Netflix movie fare as well.Red Notice, the last Netflix film that Gadot starred in, currently holds the title for the company’s most-streamed flick of all-time, with the action-spy comedy racking up an almighty 364 million hours viewed.The Gray Man(253.9 million),Extraction 1(231.3 million),6 Underground(205.5 million),Army of the Dead(186.5 million), andThe Old Guard(185.7 million) are other action-oriented Netflix Originals that have outperformedHeart of Stone.
Based on its early performance, it’s unclear ifHeart of Stonewarrants a sequel. Director Tom Harperexclusively told TechRadar that he’d love to helm a follow-up, but, given the film’s poor reception and relative failure to draw a sizable chunk of Netflix’s fanbase, I don’t think it’ll get one. Still, it’s a generic action flickthat spells out the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), so it’s timely if nothing else. If you were unimpressed byHeart of Stone,you might want to check out one of these five thrill rides instead.
For more Netflix coverage, read our guides on thebest Netflix moviesandnew Netflix movies. Alternatively, find outhow to sign up to Netflixor, if you’ve become disenchanted with what’s on offer,how to cancel your Netflix account.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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