Why Three Critically Hated Action Movies Just Became Massive Global Streaming Hits

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Despite disappointing reviews and poor performance in theaters, the action comedies Freelance, Wolfs, and Ghosted have shown that this genre can succeed on streaming platforms. Some movies actually do better with streaming audiences than they did in cinemas, and there are many reasons why this happens.

The CBS sitcom Two Broke Girls, which didn’t receive good reviews when it first came out in 2011, surprisingly became popular on Netflix in 2026. This might have been due to a growing fondness for early 2010s culture, as the show’s look and feel captured the style of that time.

I recently stumbled upon the movie Accepted from 2006, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It didn’t do great in theaters or with critics when it first came out, but it’s been hugely popular on Netflix lately. I think a big part of why people are watching it now is seeing young Jonah Hill and Blake Lively before they were huge stars – it’s fun to see them in these early roles!

Freelance, Wolfs, and Ghosted Were All Critical Failures

A common pattern among streaming movies and shows that critics haven’t always loved is the popularity of action comedies. These films have had an up-and-down history in theaters – while some, like Rush Hour and the 21 Jump Street movies, were big successes, others, such as Hudson Hawk and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, flopped badly.

Even though some action comedies, like the Beverly Hills Cop films, have done well, they’re generally considered a risky investment for movie studios. That’s why we’ve seen so many recent action comedies either flop in theaters or go straight to streaming services.

In the 2023 action film Freelance, directed by Pierre Morel (known for Taken), John Cena plays a former Special Forces soldier trying to rebuild his life. He reluctantly takes on a job escorting journalist Alison Brie to interview a dictator, and as you might expect, the situation quickly turns dangerous. They soon find themselves in a high-speed, action-packed chase through a South American country.

Despite being an unlikely duo, the characters must rely on each other’s skills to make it through a story that feels both predictable and surprisingly harsh. The film Freelance received overwhelmingly negative reviews, scoring 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a commercial failure, earning only $10 million despite costing $40 million to make.

Also released that year was Ghosted, bringing together Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, who previously starred in Knives Out. The film follows Evans’ character as he becomes infatuated with the mysterious and beautiful Sadie, played by de Armas. However, before audiences could fully grasp the story, Ghosted quickly revealed that Sadie was secretly a spy, a plot device reminiscent of films like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, True Lies, Killers, and Knight and Day.

The new movie starring Ana de Armas and her co-star quickly involved a world-saving mission, but the studio didn’t seem very optimistic about its success, releasing it directly to streaming. Another film featuring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Wolfs, received mixed reviews and, surprisingly, was pulled from theaters just before its planned release.

These Action Comedies Were All Redeemed With Streaming Success

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Similar to films like Ghosted and Freelance, 2024’s Wolfs is a fast-paced action comedy with a clever premise. It stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt as rival fixers hired for the same job. Things get complicated when the person they’re supposed to make disappear unexpectedly turns up alive, forcing the two men to team up.

Look, I love a good action comedy, and these three – Freelance, Wolfs, and Ghosted – definitely hit the spot. Okay, yeah, the plots are pretty predictable – it’s the classic mismatched buddy pairing we’ve seen a million times. But honestly, that didn’t stop people from watching! Freelance climbed to number six on Netflix, and over on AppleTV, Wolfs actually hit number five, with Ghosted landing at number nine. So, even if they’re not reinventing the wheel, they clearly found an audience.

Clearly, audiences enjoy these kinds of movies, as evidenced by Ghosted breaking AppleTV records when it premiered in 2023. But the fact that Wolfs was unexpectedly pulled from theaters – frustrating its director – shows studios aren’t confident this genre will succeed in cinemas.

Wolfs, Freelance, and Ghosted Highlight A Surprising Reality

It might be surprising, but action comedies seem to be doing well primarily on streaming services these days. There haven’t been many big releases in theaters, and the recent film Heads of State, starring Idris Elba and John Cena, followed that trend by going straight to streaming. It shared a similar comedic style and feel with other popular streaming action comedies.

It feels like the days of big-screen hits like Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, and Hot Fuzz are over. These days, most major action comedies are either superhero movies – think Deadpool & Wolverine or The Suicide Squad – or they’re going straight to streaming services. Movies like Ghosted, Freelance, and Wolfs are finding their audience online instead of in theaters.

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2026-01-23 21:59