11 Years Later, Chris Hemsworth’s “Misfire” Thriller ‘Blackhat’ Cracks the Code on Streaming

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I remember a wave of tech thrillers back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and honestly, a lot of them felt…off. Studios were trying to capitalize on internet fears, but often didn’t really get the technology or how to build a genuinely suspenseful story around it – think Sandra Bullock in The Net or Harrison Ford in Firewall. But by 2015, things had improved. You could feel a bit more confidence in the genre, and that’s when Michael Mann – the director behind classics like Thief and Heat – brought Chris Hemsworth into the mix with Blackhat. And guess what? It’s currently trending as the #3 movie on HBO Max, proving it still holds up!

Beyond those earlier films, Michael Mann gave us amazing movies like The Insider, Ali, and Collateral – his reputation really speaks for itself. But things got a little tougher for him after Miami Vice (2006) and Public Enemies (2009) didn’t quite connect with audiences. Still, he’s made so many incredible films that I think Blackhat deserves a look, especially because Chris Hemsworth, who’s become so popular in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is in it.

‘Blackhat’ Was a Box-Office Bomb

Despite having Michael Mann as director and Chris Hemsworth’s increasing popularity, the movie Blackhat didn’t succeed. Released in January 2015, it competed with American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper, another actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. American Sniper had a record-breaking opening weekend for January, and while movies sometimes benefit from each other’s success, Blackhat didn’t. It only earned $4.4 million domestically during its opening weekend and ultimately grossed $19.7 million worldwide, despite costing around $70 million to make.

Honestly, when this movie first came out, the critics really weren’t kind to it. Rotten Tomatoes summed it up as a total mess from director Michael Mann, which definitely hurt its initial reception. Even Jordan Hoffman at The Guardian wasn’t impressed, and let’s just say his review wasn’t glowing.

If Hemsworth had smiled more and spoken more clearly, I might have been able to overlook the movie’s ridiculous story. And if the action scenes hadn’t looked so dark and blurry, I might have appreciated the actors’ subtle performances.

Matt Zoller Seitz at RogerEbert.com rated the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as a strange but captivating high-tech action thriller that explores what it means to be human, despite being polished and occasionally silly.

Hemsworth Has Found Redemption


Universal Pictures

Chris Hemsworth, known for playing Thor, isn’t the first Marvel actor to find success outside of the MCU, but his early career lacked the same strong foundation as stars like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans. While films like Red Dawn and Snow White and the Huntsman didn’t establish him as a major draw, and Blackhat didn’t perform as hoped, he’s since starred in several action movies, including 12 Strong, Spiderhead, Extraction, and Extraction 2. He’s also appeared in franchises like Men in Black: International and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. His latest thriller, Crime 101, is coming out this weekend.

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I’ve been a big fan of Michael Mann for years, and it’s been tough seeing his career struggle a bit after Blackhat. Thankfully, Ferrari in 2023 was a really strong film and critics seemed to love it, though it surprisingly didn’t get nominated for any Golden Globes or Oscars. But I’m incredibly excited for Heat 2 – it feels like it’s going to be a truly important movie and a huge moment for cinema. I have a feeling it’s going to be something special.

Blackhat is described:



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I was completely hooked by Legendary’s Blackhat! It’s a thrilling ride through the dangerous world of international cybercrime, and I followed this ex-con and his team – Americans and Chinese experts – as they chased a huge cybercrime operation all over the globe. We’re talking Chicago, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and even Jakarta – it really kept me on the edge of my seat!

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2026-02-06 00:35