From the very instant Darren Aronofsky’s Noah was announced, it was inevitable that the filmmaker’s biblical epic was destined to ruffle more than a few feathers, which is precisely what it did.
After all, it would have been a seismic shock were the distinctive filmmaker famed for his existentialist takes on the meaning of life and existence to deliver a cookie-cutter blockbuster, regardless of Paramount handing him a whopping $125 million to make the biggest, boldest, and brashest feature of his career so far.
Living up to expectations, then, Noah came under heavy and sustained fire from all corners. It was denied a theatrical release in countless countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for contradicting the teachings of Islam, while certain sections of Christianity were up in arms about a tale they base their entire belief system on being used as the springboard for a Hollywood fantasy where plenty of creative license was taken.
In the end, Noah surprised a lot of people by hauling in an impressive $359 million at the box office, instantly shaking off any and all suggestions that it was doomed to fail. It’s proven to be a reliable performer on streaming, too, with Netflix subscribers the latest to brace for the flood.
Per FlixPatrol, the ambitious if ultimately overstuffed historical epic with a semi-blasphemous twist has re-emerged as the 14th most-watched feature on the platform’s global charts, and we wouldn’t bet against it making an impact on the worldwide Top 10 long before the end of the week.