It’s never an encouraging sign when a movie arrives to absolutely no fanfare after spending years on the shelf, and while the pandemic has given everything from low budget independent films to $200 million blockbusters a ready-made excuse, Above Suspicion doesn’t fall under that category.
On the surface, there was definitely potential in the project. Director Phillip Noyce knows his way around the thriller genre having previously helmed Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Bone Collector, and Salt among others, while writer Chris Gerolmo penned the script for seven-time Academy Award nominee Mississippi Burning.
Throw in a gripping true-life tale, one that follows Emilia Clarke’s drug-addicted Kentucky woman who finds herself working as an informant for the married FBI agent she’s having an affair with, and plenty of pieces were in place to provide a gripping crime story based on tragic real-world events.
Even though the film comes packing a meager 25% Rotten Tomatoes score, and an equally dire 31% user rating, Above Suspicion has finally been finding an audience on Netflix this week. As per FlixPatrol, the already-forgotten effort has scored several Top 10 placings across Europe, good enough for a spot on the overall most-watched list.
Despite shooting in 2016, and premiering in the United Arab Emirates during the summer of 2019, it wasn’t until May of last year that Above Suspicion limped into theaters and VOD, where it rustled up a paltry $25,000 at the box office, failing to catch on with either critics or audiences in the process.