Rebecca Ferguson's Forgotten Fantasy Epic Officially Fights Its Way Up Streaming Charts

Dwayne Johnson is one of the stars whose work brings a broad smile to your face. Be it his voice work in Disney’s animated Moana franchise, or the franchise-saving role in Fast Five, or his effortless comedic take on Dr. Bravestone in the Jumanji reboot movies, Johnson guarantees a good time on the big screen. In his filmography, he has taken some big dramatic swings with Bennie Safdie’s The Smashing Machine and Michael Bay’s underrated satire Pain and Gain.

Nonetheless, some of his best movies are in the action genre, like Fast and Furious spin-offs Hobbs and Shaw, Furious 7, Scorpion King, and the like. Among his notable movies is also Hercules, the action-adventure fantasy film which fittingly sees him as the legendary Greek hero. Based on Steve Moore’s graphic novel, Hercules: The Thracian Wars, the Johnson-led feature unfolds as a revisionist, deconstructed take on the classic mythology, unlike traditional interpretations of the character. We follow the titular hero, Hercules (Johnson), as the governor of Thrace and his daughter ask him to protect them from a terrifying new enemy. Hercules leads his fearless team of warriors in a battle against overwhelming odds. The iconic hero is tested once again; it will take the strength of a god for him to overcome his past and conquer his foes.

Hercules became a commercial hit, earning $244 million on a $100 million budget, but received mixed reviews. While Johnson was praised for his brooding performance, the screenplay and story received criticism from fans and critics alike. This is reflected in the Rotten Tomatoes ratings, where critics gave the movie a generous 58% and audiences a much lower 48%. Nonetheless, the movie is a good rewatch for its action set pieces and distinct depiction of the legendary hero. It also stars a slew of talents, including Ian McShane, Rebecca Ferguson, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, and John Hurt. While it failed to launch a franchise back in the day, it's now considered a well-regarded, fun, guilty-pleasure action romp by fans.

'Hercules' Shows Its Might on Streaming Charts

More than a decade later, Hercules continues its rise, sitting at the fifth spot on Netflix’s global charts, as per FlixPatrol. It's climbing the charts, full of features like Why Did I Get Married Again?, The Whisper Man, The Little Things, Novocaine, and more.