Netflix has become increasingly transparent when it comes to chasing awards season glory, with the streaming service regularly breaking the bank by recruiting some of the most consistently acclaimed filmmakers in the business, and handing them creative carte blanche to indulge their passion projects. Ironically, the platform’s biggest contender this year is All Quiet on the Western Front, which came in at a fraction of the cost.
Made for just $20 million, the breathtaking war epic and remake of the seminal 1930 classic instantly garnered a reputation as one of the company’s most widely-acclaimed exclusive features, and it currently sits on top-notch Rotten Tomatoes scores of 91 and 90 percent from critics and audiences. In addition, co-writer and director Edward Berger’s haunting parable is in the midst of turning into an awards juggernaut.
As well as being on the shortlist for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture – where it’s also the front-runner to nab the Best International Feature trophy – All Quiet on the Western Front went home with seven of the whopping 14 BAFTAs it was nominated for, which included victories for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Film Not in the English Language.
Weaponizing its trophy haul and turning it into a renewed surge in popularity, the gripping World War II drama has now charged back onto the battlefield of Netflix’s most-watched charts. Per FlixPatrol, All Quiet in the Western Front has leaped a colossal 79 places on the rankings in the last 24 hours, and it could yet take aim at the summit should its momentum continue as we edge closer to the Oscars.